


Hidden in the Past

by SerenaTano



Category: SubZero (Webcomic)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of child neglect, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:42:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 41
Words: 66,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24664807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerenaTano/pseuds/SerenaTano
Summary: Prince Kyro and Princess Clove receive an anonymous scroll that speaks of an ancient kingdom high up in the mountains, hidden by the glaciers. The scroll speaks of this place as the home of the original dragon, however the language the words are written in is so old, that only a few sentences can be translated.Princess Clove hopes that by visiting this ancient kingdom, she’ll finally unlock the secret to shifting into her dragon. Prince Kyro however, is worried for the safety of his wife and senses a trap waiting for them at the end of the journey.But, before a decision can be made, disaster strikes the two clans and the Crowned Prince and Princess Consort are forced to trust someone they never thought they could or would. During their journey, secrets of the past are revealed, the true cause of the war is brought to light, and people, once thought to be dead, are found alive.
Relationships: Clove/Kyro (SubZero), Kharis/Nouren (SubZero), Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Reina/Aaron (subzero)
Comments: 186
Kudos: 99





	1. The Mysteries

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my fellow Subzero fans. I hope you enjoy. This story will update every Thursday.

“Kyro please.” Clove practically begged, something she hated doing. “I’ve read over the scrolls the Empress lent me so many times that...I have them memorized word for word, yet nothing has changed. I am still unable to shift and with what you’ve said, Red is still in danger. This could be the only way to help both of us.” Clove watched worriedly as Kyro paced back and forth in front of her. He wasn’t okay with the idea of her leaving just because some dusty and moldy old scroll said she should. But the Princess insisted that it would help both of them.

Kyro glanced down at the old scroll in her hand. It had been sealed with an insignia that no one recognized. The Crimson Prince remembered the angered growl his own dragon gave when no one could recall ever seeing or hearing of such a symbol. Kyro also remembered seeing Red in the other realm that night.

The Original Crimson Dragon paced back and forth in anger, not knowing that he had company. “How could they forget her like that? How could those imbeciles? It’s as if she has been erased from history itself.” At that last sentence, Red’s eyes dropped to the ground and an uncharacteristically amount of sadness filled the old dragon’s voice. “Are the dragons of this realm the only ones who remember the greatest clan that had ever existed? Are the three of us the only ones who remember the magnificent beings of that clan?”

Kyro froze as he noticed the look in his dragon’s eyes. It was the same look he used to see in his mother’s eyes when she spoke to Kyro and his siblings about their father. A look of love that has since been lost, but a ghost of the feeling still remains. But it was something else that caught Kyro’s attention. Something Red had said.

“What do you mean ‘three of us’?” Red eyes finally landed on his vessel and the look of love disappeared and was replaced with the usual look of annoyance. “That is none of your concern boy. But I do hate the fact that no one can remember the dragons that this war started over.” Red’s words confused Prince Kyro more than ever before. “What do you mean by that? I thought the war was started by the Crimson and Cerulean dragons.” Red ignored his young vessel’s questions, choosing to, instead, ramble on.

“Such a pity. After three hundred years, it would appear that the clans really are fighting for nothing. Of course, it’s not like fighting would have done much good.” Red looked down at the snow and in a tiny voice whispered. “It would’ve never brought the dead back to life. Fighting a war couldn’t bring her back to me.” The Crowned Prince of the Crimson Clan was shocked. He had never heard Red speak in such a small broken voice before. The broken voice of someone who had lost a piece of themselves, by losing someone they loved more than life itself.

Kyro could’ve kicked himself for not thinking about it sooner. It never even occurred to him that Red could have been in love with another dragon before the war started. Kyro tried to imagine what Red's love could've been like, however the young prince could only imagine a Crimson dragon with Clove's personality. But, even then, it was hard for him to imagine Red's love being a Crimson. For some reason the color white kept flashing through the young prince's mind. Was it possible that his love had been killed by a Cerulean dragon? Is that why the war started in the first place? Or was there more to the story? Now that Kyro realized it, the questions seemed to overwhelm him. But before the Crowned Prince could utter a single word, Red growled and his eyes flared. “I’ve already said too much. The reason for the war is no longer your concern.” 

“WAIT!” Kyro yelled, the unanswered questions were still buzzing around his brain, however, Red didn’t listen. The Crimson dragon merely ended the connection and Kyro woke up. The scroll’s symbol was the first thing he saw.

Now, the small, curled up, white dragon that held a snowflake seemed to stare directly into Kyro’s soul. The Prince scowled at the symbol on the scroll.

“And what if it doesn’t Clove? Hm? What if this is just a trick to try and assassinate you again? I was barely able to save you before, I might not be able to again.” Kyro hated voicing his concerns, and he more hated what they meant. “The Cerulean Clan would not be happy with me if I told them their only leader, was killed because I let her go on a suicide mission.” Clove frowned at Kyro’s excuse for not agreeing to let her go. She failed to see that his voiced excuse, wasn’t even the main one he had as to why she shouldn’t go. It was just the one he decided to use. 

‘After almost three months of being married to each other, he still only sees me as a peace tool.’ She closed her eyes and sighed. ‘It doesn’t matter what he sees me as. The only thing that matters now, is finding the hidden kingdom.’

Taking a deep breath in, Clove spoke once again. “Do you really think that hasn’t crossed my mind before? I’ve thought about everything that could go wrong, but in the end, this is still the best option I have. Also, I never said you had to come along…” Kyro spun around before Clove could even finish her sentence. His eyes lit up at her words, he was beyond stunned that she thought he would ever let her go anywhere outside of the palace without him. The fiery look in his eyes startled the Princess Consort and she took a fearful step back.

Kyro took a deep breath in and forced himself to calm down when he saw the fear in her eyes. “Clove, where in the world, did you get the notion that I would just let you go on a dangerous journey without me?” He asked, his voice strong and steady. Clove opened her mouth to speak, but Kyro kept going. “It’s bad enough that the dangers are already in this very palace. It was almost too easy for those assassins to attack you here, how easy do you think it would be for them to succeed out there. At least here you are more protected than you are out there.” Clove once again opened her mouth to speak, but Kyro cut her off. “I almost lost you once Clove...don’t make me actually lose you.” Kyro took a deep breath when he was done speaking. He couldn't care less about his pride and ego at the moment. As much as he didn’t want to admit that he cared for her, he needed to convince her not to go.

Clove gasped in shock at his words. Kyro was not one to speak about his feelings, so the fact that he basically just admitted that he cared for her shocked Clove more than anything. “Kyro…” The Princess Consort started, but she didn’t know what to say. “Look, I know that you don’t want me to go...But this might be the only way I can figure out how to shift. You know that our kingdom needs more dragons with the growing threats. Between the assassins, the volcanoes, and the earthquakes, we’re going to need all of the dragons we can get.”

Kyro nodded at her words. She was right. A month ago, the people of the Cerulean Clan had to leave the island because a volcano erupted, after that, volcanoes all over both clans started walking up and smoking. Two weeks after that the people near the coastline had to leave due to earthquakes. Now the borders of both clans were filled to the brim with people trying to escape the trembling ground that seemed to spread across the land. And the people were now moving further and further south, towards the Crimson Palace. All in all, things seemed to be going down hill for the two newly united clans.

“We have two dragons. Kharis and I are both dragons.” Kyro smirked at his own answer and Clove rolled her eyes. “And what happens when my people need help and they want a dragon that’s more familiar to them to arrive? What do we do then? A Crimson dragon can't be the only one to show up.” Kyro’s smirk fell at Clove’s words. ‘Once again, she’s right.’ He thought with a sigh. “I just can’t bear the thought of you walking right into a trap, Clove.”

It was Clove’s turn to sigh, she glanced down. When she looked up she saw Kyro had walked over to the window. With another sigh, Clove walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder and Kyro did his best not to lean into her touch. “And what if it’s not a trap? Part of being a leader is taking risks, especially risks that can help your people in the end.”

‘I have honestly lost count of how many times she’s been right.’ Kyro thought with a silent chuckle. ‘I have a feeling she’ll end up winning every single argument we have.’ 

“Kyro, I need to take this risk, if not for me, then for our people.” When the Crowned Prince said nothing, the Princess Consort huffed in frustrated. “Kyro, I’m going whether you like it or not. I need to do this. To be able to shift and protect my people, and I’m not just talking about the Cerulean people, I’m talking about the people of both clans.”

Kyro’s anger almost flared, but the last thing he wanted to do is frighten Clove again, so he forced it down. “Clove...If you’re going, then so am I.” She opened her mouth to protest, however Kyro held up a hand to silence her. “Don’t even try to talk me out of this. Since I can’t talk you out of this, don’t try to do the same to me.”

“Kyro, someone has to stay behind and keep the clans afloat.” Clove argued, but Kyro wasn’t having it. “Clove, I said it before and I’ll say it again, I am not letting you go on a dangerous mission alone!”

“I won’t BE alone, Kyro. I WILL have guards with me!” Clove yelled back in defense, however her answer wasn’t good enough for Kyro. “Yes, but can guards SHIFT into DRAGONS when danger hits!” He smirked smugly and Clove fired back. “No and if I don’t go on this journey, I WON’T be able to SHIFT either!”

“CLOVE, I…” Before Kyro could say anything else, the earth started to tremble and the walls around them began to crack. “KYRO!” Clove yelled in fear as she reached out to grab his hand. She was hoping to grab his hand and run, however Kyro beat her to it. He quickly placed his hand on her shoulder and roughly shoved her ahead of him. The two ran behind the servants and guards, Kharis and Kirra soon joined them. Kyro frowned as he saw his sister desperately pulling his mother along. Yes, Kirra was gaining her strength back, but she wasn’t yet back to full strength. Both Kyro and Clove moved to help the young Crimson princess, however Nouren beat them to it.

Kyro frowned when he noticed the loving look on his sister’s face when she saw the captain of the Cerulean army, however there wasn’t time for him to say anything.

The people who had been inside of the Crimson palace had just made it out when the ground beneath opened up and swallowed the building. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there, the ground continued to fall inwards as the people ran. Clove gasped when she saw people running from the nearby towns and villages. It appeared that the palace wasn’t the only building that would disappear today.


	2. As the Earth Trembles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the destruction of both clans, Prince Kyro and Princess Clove are forced to trust someone they never thought they's be able to trust in order to protect their people. Can this person be trusted? Or will she lead them astray?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, Happy Thursday. First off, I wanted to thank SGreen33, xuanxuanfu, Louise606, technopod, Snowgriff and the 4 guests for leaving kudos. I also want to thank Snowgriff for bookmarking this story. And more thanks goes out to crimsonvase (technopod) and Hafsa Omar for their comments.

Reina sighed as her horse walked on, her lilac purple hair swaying slightly in the breeze. She was on her way back to the Crimson palace, after being away for nearly a month, she decided it was time to go back. Reina was tired of going back to the Crimson Clan. No she wasn’t tired of it, she hated it. Hated leaving her home, hated leaving her family, hated leaving her best friend. But, her best friend was the reason why she was here, and the last thing Reina wanted to do was deny her best friend the relief that she deserved. So, with a small smile the young woman continued on.

However, her smile quickly fell when she realized she couldn’t see the palace from where she stood on the mountain. A deep, worried frown appeared on her face. ‘That’s odd. I can usually see the top of the palace from here. Why can’t I now?' Reina gave her horse, Peaceful, a gentle tap of the side with her foot and Peaceful walked faster.

Fear quickly rose within the young warrior as the palace remained out of view. ‘Oh, no. What if the prophecy was happening? No, it can’t be happening yet. Prophecy will only happen when the three vessels of the Element Dragons shift into their elements and so far, only two vessels have shifted. The Fire Dragon and the Water Dragon. The Ice Dragon has yet to claim a vessel, or if it has, the vessel hasn’t yet shifted. But, if the prophecy is happening, then...that means we were wrong about who the Ice Dragon’s vessel is.’ Reina realized with a sinking feeling, that it might be time for the clans of hate to fall and collapse. Only destroying the object of pure hate will true peace be allowed to flow through the Crimson and Cerulean clans. However, Reina doubted that true peace would ever be achieved with the clans of hate.

The young woman in question, gasped in horror when she saw the teary eyed people standing on the mountain’s paths. They were staring at the ocean, where their lands once stood. Reina could see small pieces of the land sticking out of the choppy waves, but the buildings, the houses, and the farms were all submerged underneath salty waters.

Looking to the side, Reina noticed Ceruleans walking down the mountain paths. She sighed in relief, before quickly hiding her emotions when she noticed her uncle looking at her. 

“REINA!” He yelled, causing the three royals and two guards that were standing next to him, to look over at her as well. Reina swallowed and climbed down off of her horse, Peaceful snorted as she walked away. The young warrior knew her horse well enough to know what the snort meant, and she turned around to stroke his snout. “I’ll be fine, Peaceful. I promise.” With one last reassuring glance, Reina continued on down the mountain until she stood before her uncle, Raizo.

“Where have you been? No one has seen you for a month and your name wasn’t on the list when we took count...three days ago.” Reina gasped at that. ‘The land had fallen three days ago.’ Sadness tore through the young woman as she looked at the faces of the group around her. The Empress, Kirra had joined them. All three Crimson royals were glaring daggers at her, the two Cerulean guards were giving her looks of distrust, and Princess Clove looked as though she was torn between anger and worry.

“Well? Where were you?” Raizo demanded once and Reina struggled to answer. “I...um...I…” She couldn’t possibly tell them the truth, could she? Didn’t her Queen tell her to remain cautious about who she trusts? But, then again, these people needed a safe place to stay, however, could Reina trust everyone not to hurt her people.

“Reina!” Prince Kyro’s voice was full of anger and hatred. Reina turned and froze. Glowing red scales had appeared at the corner of the young Prince’s eyes. That only happened, when he was truly upset and that never ended well. “Where. Were. You?” Kyro spoke each word slowly and with venom. Reina shuttered at the thought of the dragon that lay beneath his human form.

“I was…” Taking a deep breath in, Reina spoke calmly and with purpose. Her decision was made. If things went wrong, she would take full blame for it, even though she knew that her Queen wouldn’t blame her.

“I was home.” Everyone looked confused. Aaron took a step towards her. “What do you mean you were home?” Reina sighed. “I mean I was in a safe place that I consider my home. I was in the place that has my heart. A place that’s safe and welcoming to everyone.” The people of the group all looked at each other. No one knew what she was talking about, and none could hear the hints she was dropping. Raizo's gaze darkened as he looked at his niece. 

“Reina.” Clove’s calm and soothing voice cut through Reina’s shock and fear. The young warrior turned to look at the young princess. Clove was shocked to find none of the resentment that once filled the purple-haired girl’s eyes. Reina used to look at Clove with pure hatred, now, only hope and sorrow filled her eyes. “You said that your home was safe and welcoming for everyone.” Reina gave the princess a small smile and nodded. “Do you think a few of these people could stay there...just until we can find another place to rebuild our homes?” Reina wanted to throw her arms around Clove’s shoulders in delight, however the young warrior restrained herself. ‘Clove is not Lily.’ Reina reminded herself as she fought the urge to hug the young princess. ‘No matter how much she reminds me of her.’

“No.” Reina said and Clove’s face fell. “The King and Queen won’t allow only a few to stay. They will allow everyone to stay.” Kyro narrowed his eyes in rage. “Now I know you’re lying. No ruler with half a brain would allow strangers to stay in their lands without question. Plus the Crimson and Cerulean clans are the only clans out there.” Reina rolled her eyes at his statement. “Then obviously you haven’t ventured far outside of your kingdom’s borders. Of course my clan has remained hidden for…”

Raizo took a threatening step towards Reina. “You know as well as the rest of us that there is no other clan out there.” Reina raised an eyebrow then sighed. “Look, I didn’t wanna have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Mai!” The maid in question stepped forward. “Please tell them about the Clan of Peace. I know you’ve been there.” Mai looked around and nodded. “Reina speaks of the truth. There is another clan out there. A powerful one. It was formed by the people and dragons who wished to escape the conflict before the war even began.”

Clove looked at Kyro who looked conflicted. On the one hand, he needed to find a place for his people to stay if he didn’t his people would die. But on the other hand, if it was a trap...his people were dead. Either way his people could end up dying, however, trusting Reina seemed like the most promising solution. “Clove,” Kyro said with a sigh. “I need to talk to you...alone.” Clove nodded and the two royals walked over to the edge of a cliff. “I think trusting her is our best bet...as much as I don’t want to…” Clove nodded. “I know how you feel. I do agree with you, but we need to be cautious. I’ll tell the guards and soldiers to keep their eyes open for any sign of a threat.” Kyro nodded at Clove’s words, then he looked back to the group of people. The Crimsons and Ceruleans were standing away from each other, only a few Ceruleans were standing in the Crimson group. “I’m most worried about the people. The war may have ended, but the conflict is far from over. We need to keep and eye on the people as well, make sure they don’t try and rip each other apart.” It was Clove’s turn to nod, she hated thinking about that major detail, but she knew it was a possibility.

“Hopefully it won’t take us too long to reach this new clan.” Kyro reached out to place his hand on Clove’s shoulder and she, in return, leaned into his touch. As she leaned in, Kyro slipped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. For a few moments, neither one of them spoke.They just stood there enjoying each other's company.

Down below, the three generals of the Crimson army glared in disgust as their Crowned Prince gave a public display of affection to the enemy. “It would appear our Prince has gone soft." One said and the others agreed. 

Lord Arkos on the other hand, glared at Kyro. “Not only has my niece been forced to marry him, now she has to pretend to enjoy his company.” Clove’s uncle muttered and some of the elders agreed. The feeling of hatred that he felt towards Kyro only grew when the young prince pressed a light kiss to the top of Clove’s head. It was almost too much for him to bear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thank you all for your support, these past few weeks have been extremely hard for me and you all have really helped me. Thank you. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	3. The Journey is Always Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The people of both clans start the long journey towards the new clan. During this time, both Kyro and Clove question Reina about the unknown clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Thursday is here and so is a new chapter. But, first, I would like to thank  
> Snowgriff for commenting and three guests for leaving kudos. I would also like to thank everyone for 173 hits. Thank you all so much.

It didn’t take long for Kyro and Clove to explain the plan to their people. Most were grateful that they had a place to go to. Others were sceptical and a few were opposed to the plan. However, in the end, everyone marched forward, following the purple haired woman.

Kyro looked over to the woman in question, she was writing a letter on a piece of paper and that worried him more than ever. ‘What is she planning?’ The Crimson Dragon’s vessel thought in anger and he rode up next to her. “Who are you writing to?” Kyro demanded, hoping to somewhat intimidate the former general. However, the ink brush in Reina’s hand never faltered nor did she look up as she answered. “I’m sending a message to my best friend, asking her to let the King and Queen know of our arrival. I’m guessing you want to read it before I send it out.” Reina gestured to a hawk that was sitting on her right shoulder, the bird was just out of Kyro’s line of sight.

“Of course I do. I need to know that you're not planning anything.” Reina sighed at his obvious distrust. “Okay, look. I know that I have given you no reason to trust me, but I swear by the Great Spirits that I have no other reason, but then to help these innocent people.” Kyro scoffed at Reina's words. "And since when have you cared about helping innocent people." Kyro was not buying her act for one second. "Despite what you think Reina, you are not good at acting." Reins laughed at his statement. "Oh, Kyro. If you only knew...but anyway, to answer your question. I have always cared about innocent people. However, six years ago I met someone who taught me that all people start out innocent. Crimson or Cerulean, we all start out as innocent children. And it's the choices we make that determine whether or not we stay innocent. And now, I am trying to gain my redemption by helping those in need."

Kyro glanced down. He had to admit that Reina was a good actress, but he still didn't believe a word she said. Reins carefully put her ink brush away and handed the scroll to Kyro. " But, I have a feeling that no matter what I say, you will never believe a word I say. Hopefully this letter will change your mind." She gave her horse a gentle nudge and he trotted forward. "Just give the letter to Dalila when you're done. She'll deliver it." Kyro looked over to see the hawk, from Reina's shoulder, flying next to him. It's mud brown eyes were locked with his yellow ones. With a sigh, the Crowned Prince began to read the letter.

_To my dearest friend,_

_Lily, I regret to inform you that the lands that were once known as the clans of Crimson and Cerulean, are now buried beneath the waves of the ocean. Now the people of the clans have nowhere left to go. So, I let them know that the Mixture Clan is always open to those in need. We are now reaching the peaks on the Clawed Mountains and by the time you receive this letter we will, hopefully, be halfway through the Fire Dragon's desert. However I make no promises that we will actually be at that point. I'll tell you more when we speak face to face. I will tell you more in the second letter, soon to come._

_Love to all,_

_Reina._

Kyro sighed as he rolled up the scroll and handed it to the hawk next to him. The bird instantly snatched out of his hand and took off into the sky. What Kyro failed to see was the hawk swoop down and pluck another scroll out of Reina's hand before flying off.

"Kyro?" The man in question turned to look at his wife. Clove's fire red hair swayed gently in the mountain breeze. She rode up next to him and her azure eyes met his yellow ones. She didn't say anything else, she didn't need to. Her presence was enough to reassure him that everything would be alright in the end.

“Did her letter contain anything suspicious?” Clove asked and Kyro shook his head. “Nothing that I could spot. I should’ve had you read it. Maybe you could’ve spotted something that I missed. Oh no. What have I done?”

“Kyro! If you couldn’t find anything suspicious, then do you really think I could?” The man in question sighed and looked down. Once again, Clove was right. ‘It’s a good thing I didn’t make a bet on how many times she would be right. I’d be broke by now.’ The Crowned prince chuckled at the thought and looked back up at his wife. “You’re right, but, I just can’t shake the feeling that we’re being led straight into a trap.” It was Clove’s turn to nod. “Me too. I keep looking around thinking I’ll see someone hiding on the edge of a cliff or in one of the caves. But, a tiny voice in the back of my mind is telling me to trust her. That Reina isn’t going to betray us.” Kyro didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t have that feeling, his gut kept telling him to turn around. ‘I wonder if that small voice is the part of Clove that always sees the good in other people.’ Kyro thought as he glanced up at the purple haired woman ahead of them.

Kyro was snapped out of thought when he felt a small, soft hand touch his own. Looking down, the young Prince noticed, Clove had reached over and placed her hand over his, a small smile was on her lips. Kyro couldn’t help but return it, in that moment, he regretted arguing with her. He regretted yelling at and lying to her. ‘I should’ve told her the truth as to why I didn’t want her to go. Instead of telling her the Ceruleans wouldn’t be happy if anything happened to her...I should’ve told her that I can’t stand the thought of losing her. Why didn’t I tell her the truth?’ Kyro mentally scolded himself. ‘Well, now’s as good a time as ever to tell her.’

“Clove I…”

“Look alive people! We are now entering the Fire Dragon’s desert! If you have any heavy or thick pieces of clothing on, now would be the time to remove them! Once the sun starts setting, I suggest we set up camp! with fires! The wildlife doesn’t like the flames!” Reina yelled and people started removing their jackets and heavy clothes, until most were wearing lightweight shirts and pants or skirts. Kyro and Clove included, the few people who refused to do such a thing, were the Crimson generals, and Lord Arkos. 

Reina was the first person to cross the line that separated the mountains and the desert. She did so, without any hesitation. ‘I wonder just how many times she’s had to come this way.’ Clove thought, as the older woman seemed to know the way by heart. While the group traveled up the mountain, many people questioned Reina. Either on where they would go, what paths would be taken, one person even asked her to give him detailed directions. Each time, Reina would answer without even taking some time to think. It made Clove question the theory that Reina might be making everything up.

However, Clove wanted to see for herself, so she gave Zephyr a gentle nudge and rode up next to Reina. The older woman glanced at Clove and for a split second, a sliver of a bright smile was appearing on Reina’s lips and the woman was just about to say something when her eyes quickly flitted over Clove’s hair and face. Reina’s face fell and the woman turned away when she realized it was Clove. ‘For a second, she thought I was someone else. I wonder who she thought I was.’ Clove though feeling suspicious which quickly turned into a feeling of sympathy when she saw the look of homesickness on Reina’s face.

“Reina?” Clove asked hesitantly and the young warrior looked over at her. “Yes, you’re majesty?” Reina’s voice was calm and it lacked the hatred it normally held. “Do you mind if I ask you some questions about the clan we’re heading to? I’m curious about what it’s like.” Clove made sure to sound as innocent as possible. She hoped Reina wouldn’t suspect a thing, the woman in question, gave a small smile as she answered. “Ask away, you’re majesty.”

Clove narrowed her eyes a little at the sudden respect Reina was sending her way. A movement behind them caught Clove’s attention and she subtly glanced back for a second. Kyro was right behind them listening into the conversation. A feeling of gratitude ran through Clove when she saw him.

“What’s the name of the clan?” The young Princess asked and Reina didn’t even think before answering. “The Mixture Clan. It’s a safe haven for anyone and everyone. It was first built by the people who wanted to escape the conflict of a war that hadn’t yet begun, but was obviously going to invade the land.” Clove gasped at how quickly Reina was able to relay the information. That meant one of two things, either Reina really was taking them to another clan that she considered her home. Or Reina had trained her own mind to relay the false information.

“Interesting. If I may ask, are you certain the King and Queen will welcome outsiders into their land?” Reina chuckled and looked at Clove knowingly. “Princess, the King and Queen of the Mixture clan, are outsiders. They were given the crowns by the people, after they not only lead the rebellion, but the current King was the one who took out the former, corrupt King.” Once again Clove was at a loss. Reina relayed the information quickly it was almost certain that this place was real, not to mention the look of hatred that crossed the woman’s face when she mentioned the corrupt King was genuine. At least, Clove thought it was genuine.

“The sun is setting. We need to get the fires lit before it gets dark.” Reina jumped off of her horse and began pulling supplies out of her satchel. Kyro sighed, it looked like the conversation would continue another time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you all think? Can Reina be trusted? Or is she leading them all into a trap? Once again thank you all for the support.


	4. A New Friendship Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Clans stop for the night and Reina takes this time to speak to Princess Clove. She claims to be speaking the truth, but is she tell the truth? Is it another trick of hers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thursday everyone. How's it going? Once again here's another chapter. I hope you all enjoy. I want to take this time to thank the two guests who left kudos. Thank you. And thank you to everyone for 225 hits.

It didn't take long for several fires to be lit, mostly thanks to Reina. It seemed the woman had a natural way with the flames. The royals of both clans frowned when they saw their people were still split.Clove sighed and walked away from the group, to sit at the edge of the warm glow the fires casted. She pulled out the ancient scroll and reread it. She left with the same questions she had before. With a frustrated growl, Clove put the scroll away.

"You look like you could use some company." Clove looked up to see Reina standing next to her. "Mind if I join you?" Clove nodded to the space next to her and Reina sat down. "Look Princess, I...I think it's time I told you the truth. The whole truth." Clove looked at the older woman in confusion. "What do you mean the whole truth?" Reina sighed before answering. "I was sent back to the Crimson Clan by my Queen. She sent me to protect you." Clove's head shot up and she looked over at the purple haired girl. "You mean a lot to her. You mean a lot to the King as well, but you mean more to the Queen." Clove didn't know what to say. "Why?"

Reina sighed, she now seemed lost. "The truth won't make any sense at the moment, but I promise you, once you meet them, everything will make sense. Hopefully." Reina reached into her satchel and pulled out a scroll. "I also thought you might want to know more about the clan you are visiting." The scroll was unrolled and spread out on the sand before them. It was a map, a fairly new one at that. The territory of the Cerulean Clan was outlined in blue, the Crimson Clan was outlined in red and the territory of the Mixture Clan was outlined in purple. Clove was shocked at how much land was a part of this unknown clan.

A small patch of green and another mountain range were drawn where sandy plains ended. The mountains went around to form a large circle, inside the circle was a field of green and in the very center, a small building was drawn. The purple outline started where the desert began and went all the way around the circle of mountains. The Mixture Clan was bigger than the Crimson and Cerulean Clan combined. At least the territory was.

Reina took out her ink brush and placed a small black dot in the middle of the desert and drew a line as she spoke showing the princess where they were headed. "Here is where we are right now. We're not quite halfway through the desert yet, but we're close. This building is where the town is located. We'll need to go through this small forest up to this part of the Dragon's Wall." Clove looked at Reina in confusion and the older woman chuckled. "Oh, sorry. I keep forgetting you're not Lily." Clove was about to ask who Lily was, when Reina continued talking. "The Dragon's Wall is what we Mixtures call the circle of mountains. When we arrive there, the King and Queen will meet us there at the Great Spirit's Gate. Or the guards will. Either way. The King and Queen will want to speak with you and Kyro, so they'll probably have their Grand Marshal show your people to the empty houses and inns." Clove nodded at the information she was being given.

"Reina? Do you know the names of the King and Queen?" Reina looked fearful and she stuttered to answer the question. "I...um...Well, everyone who knows about the Mixture Clan knows what their names are, but, um, to prevent others from calling me a liar, it's best for them to introduce themselves." Clove nodded, the suspicious feeling returning to her gut.

Reina sighed as she noticed a look of distrust in Clove's eyes. "Look, Clove...I know I haven't been very kind to you, but please know that all of the hate that I sent your way, none of it was real. It was all an act." Clove had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. "You see, I knew that in order to protect you, I had to get on the side of the enemies. And in order to do that, I had to act like I hated you. The main people that I didn't trust were the generals and Kyro. That's why...on the night you were supposed to have dinner with him...I tested him. Believe me when I say I had no idea that you were standing behind the curtain. I swear to the Great Dragons that I didn't mean any of it. I was genuinely trying to separate the threats from the non-threats."

Clove hummed in reply. She was now torn. Part of her wanted to believe the purple haired woman, but the other part told her not to listen to a single thing Reina says.

"If all of the hate was just an act then, why did you whip the false maid?" Reina's eyes widened and she rubbed the back of her neck. "I...um...Actually, I thought she was a spy from a rival clan." Clove raised an eyebrow in question. "I saw her speaking to Daylen, a man who tried to murder the Queen, and I just assumed. When I saw her in the Crimson Palace, I thought that she knew who I was, so when threatening her didn't work, I tried a more physical but not too harmful way to get my message across. Unfortunately, that didn't work either." Clove nodded, once again she was torn.

"However, you'll be happy to know that the people behind the assassination attempt on you have been arrested...well most of them have." This shocked Clove more than anything. "What? How?" Reina smirked. "Like I said before, you mean a lot to my Queen." Clove frowned at Reina’s statement. ‘Who could the Mixture Queen possibly be?’ The young princess thought, but no possible answers came to mind. So, Clove decided to change the subject.

“Reina, you mentioned someone named Lily. If I may ask, who is she?” Reina let out a breathy laugh, almost as if a happy memory came to her mind. “Lily is my best friend...well, she’s more like a sister to me.” A small smile appeared on Clove’s lips as she noticed the way Reina’s eyes lit up when she spoke of Lily. “You remind me a lot of her.”

“I do?” Clove questioned in a shocked tone and Reina nodded. “She would do anything for her people as well, she’s also brave, clever, strong, and as Prince Kyro would say, feisty.” Both Clove and Reina laughed, catching the attention of Kyro, Kharis, Kirra, Lord Arkos, Raizo, and the other Crimson generals. All of them narrowed their eyes at the two women, but for different reasons. The Crimson royals and Lord Arkos were worried about Clove’s safety. The generals thought Reina was slipping herself into their plan, and Raizo had mixed feelings about the sight before him. 

“So, I take it you’ve known her for a long time?” Clove asked curiously and Reina happily replied. “Six years and counting. I know it’s not a long time, but the stuff we’ve been through together makes up for that.” Clove nodded trying to imagine what Reina meant by that. After a few minutes of silence, Reina sighed. “Clove, like I said before, we didn’t really start out on good terms, but I’m hoping that maybe you’d be willing to start over. Now that you know the reason for my coldness.” Reina looked at the younger woman with so much hope and uncertainty in her eyes that Clove’s heart melted. “I would love to start over Reina. It will be nice to have another female friend around.”

Reina’s smile grew impossibly wide and gave the young princess a soft Thank you. While Clove was willing to start over, she wasn’t about to let her guard down just yet. Reina needed to earn her trust more and the purple haired woman seemed to know that.

She didn’t ask too many questions as the two women talked and, much to her surprise, Clove found herself actually liking Reina’s company. With each sentence that was spoken, it was getting harder and harder for them to keep their eyes open. “Well, I think I’m going to turn in for the night.” Reina stood and started to walk away. “Clove,” She turned back to face the red head. “Thank you, for giving me a second chance.” The young princess flashed Reina a genuine smile. “You’re welcome Reina. Goodnight.”

Clove stood up afterwards and walked over to where Kyro, Kharis, and Kirra were. Kharis and Kirra were already fast asleep, but Kyro regarded Clove suspiciously. “What did Reina want?” He asked in concern and fear. Clove told him everything, not leaving out a single detail. “Don’t trust her Clove. She can’t be trusted.” The young princess only nodded. Once again, she was torn. Part of her wanted to tell Reina that she would never trust her, but the other part told her to do the opposite. “I’ll be careful, Kyro. I promise.” He nodded with a small smile and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

Clove sighed as she snuggled closer to Kyro, it still amazed her at how much she enjoyed his company. Little did she know that Kyro was thinking the exact same thing. Neither of them spoke, eventually they both fell asleep, still locked in each other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you think Clove should trust Reina or do you think Clove should tell her off? Also who is your favorite character in Subzero? Mine has to be Clove with Kharis close behind. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter.


	5. A Shocking Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Cerulean finally pays the price for meddling in the affairs of another dragon and it effects Clove greatly. But that's not the only thing that's effecting Clove.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I know Subzero isn't updating today and I know this isn't the same, but here's another chapter for the Subzero fans. I also want to thank the guest for leaving kudos and I want to thank everyone for 249 hit.

Over in the Mixture Clan, a hawk flew into the bedroom of a woman named Lily. In her talons, she carried two scrolls. Lily read the first scroll and sighed in sorrow. She hated hearing that the people she once called her own were now homeless. With another sigh she unrolled the second scroll and was shocked by the words.

Lily, I regret to inform you that we were wrong about who the Ice Dragon's vessel is. If the prophecy has already begun, that means Snowflake's vessel has already visited the Ice kingdom in the glaciers and shifted. I give to you my deepest sympathies, I know you were hoping that you're sister would be the Ice Dragon's vessel, but unfortunately we were both wrong. I have already asked Ember to question Snowflake on who her vessel is, so, hopefully, I may have the answers we seek by tomorrow morning, but I sadly make no promises. However, one thing that confuses me is that a scroll sealed with Ice Dragon's insignia was sent to Princess Clove. I saw the waxed symbol myself, and it is in fact the crest of Snowflake's Kingdom. I also managed to catch a glimpse of the writing inside and...You know what, I'll just tell you more when we arrive at the Mixture Clan. 

Love to all,

Reina

P.S. Please tell Kiren and the kids that I said hi.

With a sigh, Lily's husband gently took the scroll from her hands and placed it on the desk. "It's late, my love. This can wait until morning." Lily nodded at her husband's words. He was right. It was late and Lily was exhausted. So, she stood up and made her way to the bed before gratefully laying down and falling to a deep sleep.

Clove was the first one to wake up. It was still dark, but the horizon was barely streaked with the dull colors of the rising sun that had not yet shown it's bright face. The first thing Clove noticed was her mind no longer buzzed with the power of her Dragon. The second thing she noticed was that she couldn't feel the slight warming feeling of her markings. Once she realized these two important details, Clove shot up, nearly waking up Kyro in the process, however he, thankfully, kept sleeping.

The young princess walked over one of the dunes and away from the group. She was almost afraid to check for her markings, but with shaking hands, the red headed woman carefully lowered her robe. Once her shoulders and upper back were revealed, she stopped, inhaled and glanced back. She nearly cried at what she saw, or to be more accurate, by what she didn't see. Her dragon mark was completely gone, not a smidge of blue was one her pale skin. Clove's legs gave out and she sank to the sandy ground. She choked back a sob as she realized what this meant. 

The first thing Kyro noticed was the power of his dragon buzzing in his mind was stronger than it had been before. The second thing he noticed was his markings were warmer than before. And the third thing he noticed was that his wife was no longer in his arms. It was the third thing that caused Kyro to shoot up in fear. 'Where is she?' He asked himself as he looked around frantically. In the dim light of the rising sun, the young prince could vaguely make out the small footprints in the desert sand.

Kyro quickly stood and followed them. He was grateful to see that it was only one set of footprints. That meant only one person walked this way, so Clove was probably alone. But, his hope was quickly squashed when he heard a choked sob. It sounded like Clove, which meant she was most likely in trouble. Kyro didn't even realize he had started running nor did he notice the glowing red scales around his eyes. As Kyro ran he heard Red growling in anger and muttered some phrases that Kyro wouldn't want to repeat. 'I wonder when Red became so protective of Clove.' The young prince thought as he made it over the sand dune, he stopped dead at the sight that awaited him.

The woman who had stolen his heart was kneeling in the desert sands, her robe was part way down her back, revealing the soft, pale skin that once held the marks of her dragon. Kyro couldn't move, her marks were gone, like she never had any. But, Kyro knew she had. He'd seen her marks himself. Yes, they had been faint and faded, but they were still on her skin. Now, her soft and pale skin was completely unmarred.

Clove choked out a sob, the sound was enough to snap Kyro out of his trace. He quickly walked over to his wife, knelt down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She visibly relaxed his arm, turning to press her face into his shoulder. "It'll be alright Clove. If anything happens, Kharis and I will protect you." Clove only shook her head at his words. "Kyro, I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about you and our people.” Kyro sighed and shook his head. Of course Clove would be worried about everyone else but herself, that’s how she was. It was one of the reasons Kyro fell for her. “Everything will be alright in the end. I promise.” Clove said nothing, she only wrapped her arms around her husband. Cherishing this time with him.

In the realm of the dragons, Red was looking down into the snow covered gorge. He needed to know who won the battle. A small smile appeared on his lips when he saw the bloodied lifeless body of the Cerulean Dragon lying at the bottom. The war was finally and truly over. Looking up at the sky, he felt the cold snowflakes melting on his thick scales, they felt like freedom and Red almost allowed himself to go down memory lane. To a time where there was no war, when the dragons were all allies, not enemies. A time when he was young and his love’s rein was still new. However, a soft and familiar voice called him back to reality.

“Red Flame?” Turning around, Red saw a sight that would forever make his heart skip a beat.

By the time Kyro and Clove made it back to the group, everyone was awake and ready to go. “Okay, people, we’re not quite halfway through the desert, but we’re close. We need to hurry to get to the forest by nightfall. Trust me, you don’t want to spend another night in the desert.” Reina called out, she seemed a lot happier than she did the night before. “Once we reach the forest we’ll stop for the night.” Several people grumbled at her words, however, Kyro and Clove knew that Reina was right. Soon people would start experiencing heat and sun stroke, and with water being scarce, they needed to find a source soon.

Kyro worried about the Ceruleans more than the Crimsons. The Ceruleans were from a frozen island, which meant they weren’t used to the heat . Many were already starting to sweat and the sun wasn’t even fully raised yet. He glanced over at Clove, while she wasn’t sweating, she was pale, and she looked exhausted. Kyro wanted to see if there was an extra horse that could be spared, however, he knew all of the horses were going to the elderly and pregnant women. And even then there weren’t enough to go around.

Still, if Clove was getting sick, the last thing she needed to do was walk through the hot desert. “Clove, are you feeling alright?” He placed a hand on Clove’s shoulder and she looked up at him. It was then that Kyro noticed her eyes didn’t have the shine they usually had. “Yeah, just, a little stressed over everything.” Kyro nodded, however he wasn’t fully convinced. She was hiding how she truly felt, most likely so she didn’t look weak in front of their people.

Of course, it didn’t matter to Kyro whether or not she looked weak to others, he would always see her as being nothing but strong.

Clove on the other hand was feeling weak, her stomach was churning and she felt like she was going to be sick. She was also exhausted, every step felt like it took half of her energy. But, she continued on with the journey. She would be strong for her people, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I know it's not the same as Subzero, but it's something. I also want to wish Junepurrr a speedy recovery.


	6. The Hard Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey through the desert gets harder and harder as the clans continue on. Clove gets hit the hardest and Kyro discovers something Reina's best friend Lily that shocks him to the core. The clans also receives some visitors from the Mixture clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, happy Thursday. First off, I would like to thank the two guests and randompersonz for leaving kudos. I would also like to, once again, thank Snowgriff for commenting. I also want to thank everyone for 300 hits. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

The high sun was beating down mercilessly and several people were already throwing up from both sun and heat stroke. But, thankfully, everyone was still alive.

“Clove, can you do me a favor?” Reina asked as she reached into the saddle bag on her horse. “Sure. What do you need?” Clove responded and gave a small smile when Kyro placed a protective hand on her shoulder. “Can you walk up over that dune and check for cacti?” Clove nodded and Reina continued as she pulled out several canteens of water. “Thanks. When you find some, can you look for a pink fruit? It grows on the top of a cactus.” Once again Clove nodded. She knew what Reina had planned.

The young princess slipped away as Reina started handing out the canteens of water. As Clove walked up the dune, she was struck by a wave of dizziness and her stomach lurched. It took all she had not to throw up. “Clove, are you alright?” A soft and familiar voice asked. Turning around, Clove saw Kharis walking up behind her. “Yeah, I’m fine, Kharis. I’m just…” Another wave of dizziness hit, causing Clove to fall to her knees. Her vision blurred and she felt bile rising in her throat, however she pushed it down. Kharis placed her hands on Clove’s upper arms. “Clove, you’re not alright. I think you need to rest.” The youngest princess hated seeing her sister-in-law suffer. “I’m fine, Kharis. I promise. It’s probably just a small bug. It’ll pass.” The Azure princess stood up and continued up the sand dune, Kharis was right behind her.

At the top, both princesses could see a small field of cacti with prickly pink fruit growing on the top of each. “Here,” Clove and Kharis practically ran down the dune to reach the cacti. When she was standing right next to one, Clove had to stretch to reach the fruit. “This is what Reina was talking about. We need to get these to the group immediately.” However, as soon as Clove’s hand touched the pink skin of the fruit, she was hit with another dizzy spell and her stomach flipped violently. The Cerulean Princess vaguely heard Kharis yell her name as she went down, thankfully she fell away from the prickly cacti.

However, the minute her knees hit the sand, Clove’s body rejected what little she had in her stomach. She didn’t know how long it lasted, but when it was over, the Princess Consort’s head pounded and her stomach felt worse. “Clove, you need to see the royal physician right now. I’ll go get him.” Kharis made to stand up, however her sister-in-law grabbed her hand in a frighteningly weak grip. “No, Kharis, please. The healers already have their hands full with the other people who are suffering from the desert’s heat. I don’t want to add more to their plate.” Kharis rolled her eyes. ‘Of course Clove is going to insist everyone else be helped first. She always puts others before herself.’ Kharis thought to herself as Clove attempted to stand back up, however her legs nearly gave out. “Clove, you need help. Listen to me please.” The Princess Consort’s heart clenched at the sight of tears in the younger girl’s eyes. “Kharis, I don’t want to worry Kyro any more than needs be. I probably just have heat stroke. However, to ease your mind, I will see the royal physician when we arrive at this other clan.”

Kharis nodded, knowing there was nothing she could do to convince Clove to get help and she would respect her sister-in-law’s wishes on keeping Kyro in the dark about everything. She would, however, ask her brother and mother to keep and eye on the Princess Consort.

She watched as Clove stood up and reached up to carefully pick some of the prickly fruit on the cacti. Kharis sighed before standing up and doing the same, she kept a close eye on the blue dressed woman next to her. Clove was doing her best to hide her illness and Kharis was impressed at how well she was doing. If one didn’t know any better, they would think Clove was perfectly fine.

“Okay, we need to get these to our people and gather some volunteers to help get the rest.” The Crimson princess nodded and began walking back up the sand dune. It was going to be an extremely long day.

"REINA!" The young warrior turned around to see Prince Kyro walking towards her. She swiftly bowed her head in respect and the man rolled his eyes. "I need to talk to you. Alone." It was a simple command and Reina nodded, she had a good guess on what he needed to talk about. The two walked a few feet away from the group before Kyro turned to the purple haired woman. "The woman you were writing to...Lily. She wouldn't happen to be the same Lily that…my brother fell in love with...is she?" Reina smiled a little at the question, she didn't want to reveal too much just yet. "She is indeed." Kyro's head jerked up at her answer and both hope and anger filled his eyes.

He remembered the rumors that were spread about her after his brother, Kiren's death, and Kyro also remembered when he first met Lily. It had been at the Moon Festival, the year his mother had decided to throw a masquerade ball. Kirra urged Kiren to invite the girl he was in love with, at first he claimed that she wouldn't be able to come and he didn't want to make her feel bad, however Kyro and Kharis joined in. A few days later, Kiren gave in and invited her.

The minute Lily walked into the ballroom, all eyes were on her. She wore a simple, short sleeved, fiery orange gown that hugged her upper body and flared out at the waist with transparent red silk. Her red, feather mask concealed the upper part of her face and eyes, a short, silk red veil covered her tied up hair. Lily commanded attention like a true queen, not trying to, but still earning it. She was lean with obvious muscles in her arms, which hinted that she was a farmer, yet her movements were flowing and graceful, she reminded Kyro of a river.

Almost instantly, the royal family loved her. Both Kyro and Kharis couldn't help but think of her like a sister and Kirra found herself seeing Lily as a daughter. Unfortunately the only time she came around was at masquerade celebrations, which were happening more and more. However, Lily never showed her face, both Kyro and Kirra suspected it was because she thought she wasn’t pretty enough or because she had a scar or birthmark that she didn’t like. Even though it wouldn’t have mattered to the royal family. What mattered to them was her personality. Lily was sweet, kind, caring, but she was also feisty, brave, and clever when she needed to be. If Kyro were being completely honest with himself, Lily had the same personality as Clove. 

'Maybe that's why I fell for Clove. Because the men in my family seem to fall for the sweet girls who have a feisty side.' Kyro thought as he turned to Reina. 'So, after the death of my brother, Lily went to the Mixture Clan. Why? Was it guilt or something else?' Kyro thought again.

"Kyro, there's so much I want to tell you, but I know you won't believe me until you see it with your own two eyes. So, for now, I'm asking you to please trust me. I know that's going to be hard, but it's for the best. All will be explained at the Mixture Clan." Kyro let out a frustrated sigh but nodded. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Reina was their best bet at surviving. He needed to trust her. "Oh, here come Clove and Kharis."

To say the people of both clans were grateful for the prickly pears would be an understatement. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough for everyone to get a full prickly pear, so they had to be cut into smaller pieces in order for everyone to get a piece. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

Once everyone had eaten a bit of fruit and drank a sip of water, Reina called out. “Alright everyone, we really need to get moving if we are going to…” She was cut off by a loud roar, followed by two huge shadows sweeping over the group. A Crimson and a Cerulean dragon flew over the huge mass of people, almost everyone screamed in fright and shock. The soldiers pulled out their weapons, Kyro and Kharis prepared to shift if needed, and Clove narrowed her eyes as the two dragons circled around and headed for the front of the group. The Cerulean was different from the one she was used to seeing. Instead of having red horns, this one had blue horns.

Yellow and blue sparks flew from the dragons as they shifted next to Reina. In the place of the Crimson dragon, was a black haired man, with mud brown eyes, dressed all in red, save for his blue headband. The Cerulean dragon changed into a blond haired woman with light green eyes, dressed in all blue save for the red belt at her waist. Both looked to be in their mid twenties and they stood close together, smiling brightly at Reina, who was rolling her eyes.

“A bit dramatic don’t you think.” The man rolled his eyes and the woman laughed. “What’s the fun of being subtle? Besides, being dramatic is a lot more entertaining. Anyway, everyone, my name is Semal and this is my sister Amyah.” Almost everyone drew in a shocked breath at his words. ‘A Crimson and a Cerulean who consider each other siblings.’ Aaron thought with disbelief, along with many others.

Amyah snorted at the shocked faces of the group. “Believe it or not, anyway we have been sent by our Queen. She wants us to bring the sick, elderly, and any others who are less able to walk far distances.” Her voice was strong and heavy, unlike Semal whose voice was light but still strong. “ We would’ve been here sooner, however we had to take the long route to avoid being followed.” Semal said with a guilty look on his face and both Kyro and Clove stepped forward. “We thank you both for coming and agreeing to help our people, however are you sure they’ll be safe.” Clove said gently and Amyah gasped when she spotted the Princess Consort. “By the Great Spirits, how on earth did you get here so fast?” Clove took a step back in surprise and confusion. Both Reina and Semal paled in fright at Amyah’s words.

It was then that the young Cerulean eyes the Princess’s hair and she looked down in guilt. “Oh my, I am so sorry. You just look so much like someone I know. Aside from your hair and eye color being a little bit different, you and her could pass as sisters.” Semal elbowed her in the stomach. “Amyah, I love you, but please...Shut up.” She groaned and nodded. “Yep, that’s fair.”

“So, who’s going with us, since we probably won’t be able to take everyone, we’ll take those who are most in need of medical attention first, then we’ll come back. Or two other dragons will come in our place. Either way.” Kyro and Clove looked at each other both silently agreeing with their decisions. Many of their people need proper medical attention immediately and they couldn’t get that out here in the desert. So, with heavy hearts, they agreed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have some bad news. I am developing writers block for both of my fanfictions, so there may not be an update for a while after chapter eight. But hopefully by then, my writers block will be over. But, enough of that, it's question time. What do you think is wrong with Clove?


	7. The Sickness of Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Clans continue on their tiring journey and reach the forest. While they set up camp, Reina tells the group a little bit about the Mixture Clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, happy Thursday. As promised here is a new chapter. I would like to thank everyone for 373 hits. I never would've imagined that this story would have that many hits. Thank you all. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

It wasn’t hard to decide who would go first. Those who could hardly stand were the first once on the dragons, some had to be secured with rope. Even though both Semal and Amyah seemed trustworthy enough, the Crimson people refused to ride on Amyah’s back and the Cerulean people refused to ride on Semal’s back. Both siblings frowned when the other was insulted. “I do not know why you all hate my sister, when you don’t even know her.” Semal had said before shifting into a dragon. “I trusted my brother with my life before I knew anything about him. Why can’t you do the same?” It was clear that they were protective of each other, but at the same time, they constantly growled menacingly at one another when they were in dragon form.

It was amusing for Kyro and Kharis to watch, for they often acted the same way. Once those who would go were secured on their backs, Amyah and Semal took off, flying slowly and carefully.

“Well, that was interesting.” Clove muttered as she watched in amazement. “I had no idea there were other people who could shift out there.” Kyro nodded and his worry was back. ‘How many dragons did the Mixture Clan have? Should we start questioning their intentions?’ The young prince asked himself. He wanted to believe his people would be safe, but a small part of his mind growled at him that he had just sent those innocent people to their deaths. Glancing up, he noticed a sick look on Clove’s face.

“Clove?” She turned at the sound of his voice, forcing the feeling of sickness away as she did.”Are you alright?” She nodded and forced a smile. “Yes, I’m fine.” It was all she could do to not sway back and forth due to another wave of dizziness. “Maybe you should have gone with them…”

“No Kyro. I’m fine. I’ll live. It’s probably nothing.” However, Kyro wasn’t convinced, but before he could say anything else, Red’s voice echoed in his head. “It’s not what you think, boy. Keep an eye on her, but do not worry. She is stronger than she appears.” Red’s words confused Kyro like never before. “What could he possibly mean by that?” Kyro muttered as the group started moving once again. Glancing around once more, the Crowned Prince nearly had a heart attack when he noticed Clove was nowhere to be found.

He turned to the nearest person, which happened to be Lieutenant Aaron. “Did you happen to see where Princess Clove went?” Aaron narrowed his eyes at Kyro, however he still nodded and pointed to where Kirra and Kharis were walking, Clove was standing next to his mother. The young prince sighed and all but ran over to his wife.

“Clove, could you please stop disappearing every two seconds?” Kharis and Kirra chuckled and Clove looked confused. “Um, alright...I’ll do my best.” The Princess Consort sounded unsure and this made Kharis laugh harder. “Do you think we made the right decision? With sending our people off?” Clove shook her head in defeat. “What other choice did we have Kyro? If they stayed with us...they would have died soon anyways. Sending them forward with Semal and Amyah gave them the best chance at living. Even if it is a trap.” Kyro nodded and Kirra sighed. “You two made the right choice. I know it was hard, but it’s for the best. Clove is right. Sending them off might be the key to saving their lives.”

Kirra brought her hand up to her mouth and coughed, causing the other three royals to reach out in case she lost her balance, however, the Empress remained standing. Not only that, but when she pulled her hand away there wasn't a drop of blood. All four royals smiled brightly. It would appear the Empress was truly healing. Or, at least they hoped she was healing.

Kharis looked over at her brother. She needed to find a way to subtly tell him to keep an eye on Clove, she already told her mother, who kept glancing over at her daughter-in-law. Kyro however, was still in the dark about Clove's condition. The princess in question was doing better, she didn't seem dizzy now and some of her color had returned, but Kharis wasn't yet convinced. She suspected it was only a matter of time before the older princess fell ill once more. 

Over on the sides of the group, the soldiers kept an eye on everything and everyone. Aaron glanced over at Clove in worry. He had seen the sick look on her face earlier and he was concerned. Turning to Nouren, he asked the question that had been bugging him. "Is it just me or does Clove seem...a bit off to you?" Nouren turned to look at his childhood friend. "I thought she looked a little sick earlier, but now she seems fine. Don't ask her about it, Aaron. It could just be the heat of the desert." With that, Nouren walked faster, hoping his order was enough to stop Aaron from doing anything stupid. 

Amyah and Semal came back once more, took more people with them, and dropped off supplies . Amyah claimed the people who had gone with them previously were all resting and being treated by the best healers in town. Although, this time Semal handed a tightly sealed scroll to Reina. It was sealed with purple wax, the symbol being two dragons facing each other and both holding up a sphere of some kind. Reina smiled brightly and ran off to read it.

"We'll try to make one more trip before sunset, but we can't make any promises. If we can't, two other Crimsons will come in our place." Semal said with a smile and Lord Arkos had to question him. "Why Crimson? Do your King and Queen not trust Ceruleans to make the trip in the dark?" Clove started apologizing for her Uncle's comment, however Amyah held her hand up. "It's quite alright, Princess. My brother and I are more than used to getting hit by insults, but to answer your question Arkos, Ceruleans can't see in the dark. Crimsons can, so it's safer to send the Crimsons. And for your information Arkos, our Queen is a Cerulean and our King is a Crimson. That means our Princesses and Prince are Best of Both Worlds."

One of the elders stepped forward. "That would be Lord Arkos, ma'am." Blue scales began to glow around Amyah's eyes. "He is no Lord to me or to my people. In my clan, only those who are related to the King or Queen by blood get a special title." She turned to face Princess Clove and Prince Kyro before bowing to them both. "Thank you for your time my Prince and Princess." As soon as she spoke the words, she shifted into dragon form and flew off to collect the sick people.

Her words turned over in Clove's head, confusing the poor woman profoundly. 'She said only those with blood relations to the King or Queen get a special title, yet she just called both Kyro and I HER Prince and Princess. Does that mean we're somehow related to the Mixture Clan's royal family? Or was she just trying to get under my Uncle's skin?' Clove decided it was the latter. After all, Lord Arkos had insulted Amyah's brother.

Thankfully the group was able to reach the forest by the time nightfall hit, however the two Mixtures were unable to return before nightfall hit and wind whipped violently above the treetops. It was clear that no one would be coming to get more.

"Thankfully, we are now safe from both sun and heat stroke. Now we just have to worry about the rival clans. So, keep your eyes peeled, they never venture out into these woods at night, so we're safe for now." Reina spoke confidently and Raizo looked down. She was speaking with such confidence that the Grand Marshal believed she was telling the truth.

Another thing everyone was thankful for, was fallen branches were dry and lit easily. Once the fires were going, many people started asking Reina questions about how much longer it would take. "Not long at all. If we start walking at sunrise, we should reach the Great Spirit's Gate by either midday or late afternoon. From there we'll have to cross the grassy plains and then we'll be in the town." Raizo frowned again. Once more, she was right. "What are the King and Queen like?" A little Cerulean girl asked innocently and to everyone's surprise, Reina smiled gently at her before answering. "They're the best...no offence to the Royalty here, but I would choose to live under their rule any day. And they're love for each other is so strong…"

"How strong?" A Crimson boy asked and Reina laughed. "Well, when a new King or Queen is crowned for the first time, they get to design a new stained-glass window on the front of the palace for the whole town to see, or they can keep the old one. Anyway, the King decided to make his wife the main part of the stained-glass window. It depicts him standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her. He holds her hands in his, palms up. In their hands rests a Ruby Clover. The Queen's favorite flower." Several people cooed at Reina's story. The former maids of the palace began blushing and gossiping. "Of course, in the picture, he is wearing a fancy purple tunic and pants and she is wearing a fancy purple gown. And her Water Dragon is on his side and his Crimson Dragon is on her side. And he revealed it to her on their wedding day. It was a wedding gift from him to her." More people started cooing. 

Clove had to admit, it sounded romantic, she couldn't wait to meet the King and Queen now. She also couldn't wait to see the stained-glass window, and the town. In fact, the more Reina spoke about the Mixture Clan, the more Clove wanted to see it. It all sounded so beautiful and peaceful. Kyro silently agreed with her, on all of it not just on seeing the new clan. Kharis called Clove over and the older princess immediately walked over to her sister-in-law. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think Raizo is up to? Is Reina telling the truth? What did Amyah mean when she call Kyro and Clove her prince and princess? You tell me. Once again, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	8. A Story of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyro tells Clove about his what happened to his brother and Red Flame reveals some interesting news to his vessel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone happy Thursday. Okay, so there is a theory that I have had for a while and the Cerulean Dragon saying that Clove's pure Cerulean blood was tainted kind of confirmed part of my theory. So, I'm going to try and play on that theory, if it's proven wrong by Junepurrr then I'll veer away from the theory, but until then, I'll go along with it. I want to thank everyone for 440 hits. And I also want to thank thealmightytrashdeity and three guests for leaving kudos. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

Kyro glanced over at his wife and Reina's voice started fading in and out as he listened more to his thoughts. She was saying something about the grassy plains being full of flowers this time of year and the young prince made a mental note to take Clove to see them. The woman in question was rolling her eyes at something Kharis said. Kyro noticed, not for the first time, how the moonlight illuminated Clove's hair, in an almost celestial way. And once again Kyro thanked whatever deity was listening for sending the feisty Cerulean Princess his way. Of course with the gratitude also came the guilt. Guilt that Clove was forced into the situation, guilt that she had no other choice than to marry him in order to save her people.

Looking up again, the Crowned Prince noticed Kharis had already laid down for the night, however she was by different fire, than the one the Princess Consort was by. With another sigh, Kyro walked over to sit next to his wife. Clove smiled and lowered her head to rest on his shoulder. It was all he could do to not smile more than a little as he rested his head on top of hers. The moments like this, were the ones both Kyro and Clove enjoyed the most and secretly looked forward to.

"Do you think we'll find the answers we seek in the Mixture Clan?" Clove whispered, weariness was heavy in her voice. Kyro sighed. "I honestly don't know, Princess. Half of me hopes that we will, but the other half tells me not to get my hopes up." Clove hummed at his statement. "What does Red say about it?" Kyro lifted his head a little to gaze down at Clove. Her eyes were closed and the young prince could tell she was exhausted. "Red has been telling me to trust Reina and Lily. But, I know that I can't trust Reina and I don't know if I can still trust Lily." His last statement caught Clove's attention.

"You knew Lily?" Kyro nodded, sorrow was heavy on his face. "My brother, Kiren was in love with her. We only ever saw her at masquerade festivals. Never anywhere else. After his death...she disappeared. Reina said she was the same Lily, but I'm not sure if I believe her." Clove looked down in sadness. 'It seems like the world is constantly against Kyro.' She thought as she slipped and arm around his waist. "I'm so sorry, Kyro." The man in question glanced down at his wife in surprise.

'After all she's been through, after all she's lost...She still feels sorry for what happened to me.' With a small smile, Kyro slipped his arm around Clove's shoulders. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You are not responsible for what happened to him or her." No matter how hard he tried, Kyro could never fully blame her. No matter how much he wanted to. "I still feel guilty for what happened to him." Clove whispered and Kyro didn't call her out on the fact that she didn't know what really happened to him. And that was the last thing the young prince wanted to burden her with, but he needed to get it off of his chest.

"Raizo was the one who gave us the horrible news, but four soldiers came up afterwards to tell us the full story. They said, a great battle had taken place in the fields near the mountains. Kiren, of course, led them to victory, however, when the battle was over...a woman in a dark blue cloak walked through the blood stained field. They said, Kiren was overjoyed to see her and immediately ran over to embrace her." Kyro took a shuddering breath and Clove took his hand in hers. He exhaled once more before continuing. "I have found a way to end this war,'

Kiren supposedly told her, to which she replied with 'The war will end with you dead,' then she plunged a dagger into his stomach and ran away. The soldiers said they tried to go after her, but Kiren ordered them not to. They claimed that he said 'Do not hurt her. I don't fault her for this,' then he took his final breath."

By the time he finished the story, both Kyro and Clove were nearly in tears. Clove knew it was hard for Kyro to tell her all of this, however she felt relieved that he trusted her enough to tell her. "They thought it was Lily who killed my brother and for a little while, I believed them, she disappeared right after his death."

"And now, you don't believe that?" Clove's voice was soft and gentle, it made Kyro sigh as he squeezed her hand tighter. "I don't know what I believe. I will ask her when I see her though. I'll know her voice." Clove frowned at the pain in his voice, she knew this was extremely hard for him. "I'll be right by your side." Kyro gave a faint smile before he let his eyelids close. "I know. And that's more than I would ever hope or ask for.” It wasn’t long after that before both Prince and Princess were fast asleep.

And once again, Kyro was pulled into the realm of the dragons. When he opened his eyes, he saw Red standing a few feet in front of him, facing away. The dragon’s posture was different from what Kyro was used to seeing. Instead of Red’s back being straight as a board and his head being held high, the old dragon now looked extremely relaxed.

Kyro’s eyes narrowed as he assets his dragon. “RED!” The older dragon spun around and something moved in the snow behind him, however Kyro was unable to see what it was. “What happened to the Cerulean Dragon? Clove’s markings…”

“Have disappeared. Yes, I know.” The dragon glanced behind him once more as Kyro’s eyes widened in shock. “What? You know? Well, what happened?” The young prince was desperate to know what happened. “She received what she sought. She was foolish enough to meddle in the affairs of another dragon.” Kyro stepped back at Red’s words. “Red...What did you do?” The old dragon spun around to face his vessel. “I did nothing, boy. The Cerulean knew what the price was and she paid it no mind. If she would have just walked away, she’d still be alive.” The Crimson Dragon turned around once more.

“Clove can no longer shift. She’s…” Red once again spun around at Kyro’s words.”IF SHE WOULD JUST FOLLOW THE SCROLL, SHE WOULDN’T HAVE THAT PROBLEM!” Red’s booming voice echoed over the mountains. “WHO SENT HER THAT SCROLL?!” Kyro yelled back, hoping to finally get some answers. “The most magnificent and powerful of all dragons.” A look of love passed through Red’s eyes as he spoke. “High up in the glaciers, is a hidden kingdom that was once the home of the greatest dragon clan the world had ever and will ever know. This is where the answers to your questions lie. The vessels of the Water and Fire Dragons can take you there.”

“Who? Who are their vessels?” Red merely gazed down at Kyro, saying nothing. “Red Flame!” A calm, soothing, and gentle voice called out, causing Red to spin around. “You have to go. Until next time.” Red whispered much to Kyro’s horror. “WAIT!” But Red had already ended their session.

Kyro's eyes shot open and landed on the red-headed woman lying next to him. Clove was facing him with both arms around his torso. He had one arm under her head and one around her waist. The young prince sighed in content as he relaxed and fell back into a world of sleep.

Aaron however, was wide awake and unable to sleep. He kept tossing and turning with his worrying. With a quiet sigh, the young lieutenant opened his eyes and looked up at the star classed sky. Somewhere next to him, he heard footsteps. They were quiet and careful, like someone was trying to be sneaky. Looking up, Aaron saw the outline of a man walking past the group of sleeping people. He glanced around before ducking down behind the trees.

Aaron quickly stood up and carefully followed him. The man was quick and made almost no sound as he walked through the forest. He was hard to track and keep up with, but somehow, Aaron managed.

The mysterious man finally stopped about a mile away from the makeshift camp. He headed to the middle of a clearing and looked around as if to make sure he was truly alone. Aaron made sure to stay low behind a large bush, it was then that he noticed the man was wearing a baggy cloak that seemed to be much too big, most likely making him appear bigger than he actually was.

Once the man was sure that he was alone, he removed one hand from his cloak. Aaron squinted, trying to see what he was doing, suddenly, a small flame appeared in his hand, glowing brightly.

The person brought their hand up to their face and giggled. Aaron gasped as he realized, it wasn’t a man at all, it was a woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, what's going on? What is happening? I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I want to thank every one for 22 kudos and 440 hits. I never thought this story would go this far. Thank you all. Until next Thursday.


	9. The Mysterious Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron discovers a strange fire-wielding woman in the forest and he can't figure out who she is, but he is determined to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 505 hits! I honestly never thought this story would go this far. Thank you everyone. So, this week has been a hard week for me and I had honestly decided not to update, but then I realized that while updating might just make someone else's week or day so I'm just going through with it and updating. I want to thank Sleepypie and a guest for leaving kudos. And I would like to once again thank thealmightytrashdeity for the wonderful comment you let. It really made my day. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

The flame began to stretch from her palm to her elbow and not once did she scream in pain as it moved to her shoulder and caught her hair. Beneath her brown cloak, Aaron saw a faint red glow, he guessed it was her right arm that was glowing, but he couldn’t be positive.

The flame shrank back until it was once again in her palm, before jumping off and hovering in mid air. The woman dropped her hand and followed the flame’s movements with her eyes. The fire grew and shrank, making intricate patterns and amazing shapes in the air. Dragons flew around, people danced through the air, and animals roamed. She turned and spun with the fire and Aaron caught sight of heavy red material underneath her cloak. Aaron wanted to run back and awaken the other guards, or better yet, Kyro and Clove, but for some odd reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off of the fire controlling woman.

He didn’t miss the way her laughter held unconcealed joy and excitement, she seemed at peace with her fire controlling powers. She also seemed at home, like being surrounded by fire was a sanctuary for her, a safe haven. For some reason, Aaron couldn’t bring himself to take that away from her. She beamed and laughed like a child.

The show went on for what felt like hours and the sweat was pouring off of Aaron from the heat, however the woman was only a little winded from spinning and twirling. The fire calmly shrank down into nothingness, almost as if it were never there. She gave one last laugh and began the walk back to camp. Her movements were now lighter and she seemed to have more energy, but as she got closer to the camp, her movements became sluggish and she seemed to lose that carefree energy.

Aaron needed to know who this woman was, he needed to see her face. He took a deep breath and was about to call out, when he suddenly stepped on a twig, snapping it. The woman froze for a split second before running as fast as she could. She was fast, much faster than Aaron who was panting and huffing. However, she quickly disappeared behind the trees, and somehow, the Cerulean lieutenant managed to run faster. But not for long.

In the span of a second, Aaron went from running at full speed to being tackled to the ground by some unknown assailant. He raised his wooden staff, only to have it knocked from his grasp and a sharp metal blade pressed to his throat. “Lieutenant?” A familiar voice asked in shock. Looking up, Aaron saw General Reina hovering over him. Recognition flashed through her eyes as she removed the dagger from his neck and stood up. Aaron was quick to stand. “Why are you awake? And why are you in the forest?” He asked quietly as he realized how close to camp they were. “I was waiting for Delilah to return with a response from Lily when I heard someone running through the forest. Naturally, I figured it was someone from a rival clan. What about you?”

Aaron didn’t know whether or not to tell her what he saw, but he decided to let her know. “I was chasing after a woman in a baggy cloak. You had to have seen her running through.” Reina looked at him like he had grown a second head. “I only saw you. No one else came through here, and I just did a head count, everyone is accounted for.” Aaron looked back in the direction of the clearing. “But, she...I saw...She was controlling fire. I know that I saw her controlling fire, I felt the heat.” Reina gave a small chuckle. “You must have seen a Fire Dragon’s spirit vessel.” Now it was Aaron’s turn to look at Reina as if she had grown a second head. The purple haired woman sighed and continued to explain. “About two weeks before the war between the clans started, there was a great massacre where these trees now stand. Nearly all of the Fire Dragons, Water Dragons, and Ice Dragons were slaughtered. Only one dragon from each clan survived. Legend has it that the spirits of the murdered dragons took on the form of humans and now they roam the forest seeking justice for the ones who wronged them. Some people have claimed to see both men and women in cloaks controlling different elements. Whether it be fire, water, or ice. That’s all you saw, but don’t worry, the spirits are harmless.” 

With that, Reina walked back into camp leaving Aaron to his thoughts. The soldier sighed, none of it made sense. But then again, it wouldn’t be the first time something happened that didn’t make sense.

"Come on. It's late and we have a lot of walking to do tomorrow." Reina walked over to the edge of camp and laid down on a red and blue swirled blanket. Aaron sighed deeply and headed back to his makeshift bed, but he couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about the woman in the forest. 'I honestly doubt she was a spirit, so who was she?' Aaron was debating on whether or not to tell some. 'No one would ever believe me. Heck, even I don't believe me.' With another deep sigh, the young Cerulean lieutenant watched the sun slowly rise.

Kyro and Clove were the first ones up. "Clove, I have some bad news." His wife looked at him worriedly. "I think...I think your Dragon might be dead." The shocked look in Clove’s eyes made Kyro look away. “What?” She whispered and looked down. “I spoke with Red and he said the Cerulean received what she sought. I don’t know what he meant by that, but before I could ask about more, someone called out ‘Red Flame’ and I was kicked out.”

“She’s dead? No. No, she can’t be dead.” Clove didn’t want to believe her dragon was dead. “Clove, there might be another solution. Red told me that we need to follow the scroll. We need to get you to the hidden kingdom in the glaciers. He also said the vessels of the Water and Fire Dragons can take us there.” Clove’s eyes widened at this. “The Water and Fire Dragon. There are other dragon clans out there?” Kyro nodded at his wife’s question. “Apparently.” The young prince glanced down once more before gazing at Clove. The young princess had hope in her eyes. “Clove, I…”

‘Promise, I won’t let anything happen to you.’ The words were on the tip of Kyro’s tongue, yet he couldn’t bring himself to say them. He thought of all the things that could go wrong. He worried that Clove would never be able to shift. That she would always be a sitting duck, unable to properly defend herself. Kyro knew she could take care of herself, but without her dragon, she was even more in danger.

“Clove, I promise I will do everything I can to help you.” Clove gave him a small smile and nodded. “Thank you, Kyro. That means a lot to me.”

When the sun was halfway up, Reina woke everyone up and they started packing up. ”Alright everyone, we are so close to reaching the main gates. If we keep up a steady pace then we should be there by early afternoon.” She sent her hawk out once more and Kyro narrowed his eyes at her. He hadn’t read the scroll she sent with the hawk.

Aaron frowned as he glanced around, hoping to see if any of the women were looking suspicious. He was certain the woman he saw last night wasn’t a spirit. She had been very much alive. However, Aaron couldn’t see any woman with a brown cloak or large piece of fabric and no one was looking around as if they had done something wrong. Once again, Aaron thought about telling someone about the woman, but the young soldier knew they would think he was crazy. So, he kept his mouth shut about the woman. Aaron still kept his eyes peeled.

The group started walking, following the purple haired woman who led them like a true leader. She kept her own eyes peeled. Looking over at the bushes and up in the trees. She didn't know who or what could be lurking in the shadows. The Queen only sent Semal and Amyah so the rival clans wouldn't get suspicious. But, that didn't mean no one had followed them and spotted the helpless group. Of course, Reina knew Lily well enough to know that she had dragons of her own watching them. Unfortunately, it was hard for dragons to fly through the forest, so they would stay in human form and just make sure the group wasn't harmed in any way.

Reina smiled as she thought of her best friend. 'I wonder what kind of welcome party she'll throw.' The young woman thought. Lily was not one to go halfway. The welcome party would be more like a festival than a welcome party, but who was Reina to complain. A festival meant there would be performers and that meant Reina would be working.

Kyro and Clove were also keeping their eyes peeled as they walked. Not only did Kyro have his eyes open, but he also had Red on alert, but for a different reason. 'Nothing is coming after her, boy. She's perfectly safe.' The old dragon growled in annoyance and Kyro rolled his eyes. That dragon was getting on his last nerve. 'Just keep your eyes open and be on alert.' Kyro shot back and Red chuckled. 'It's good to see that you care about her so much.' The young prince growled at his dragon's statement. 'I just don't want the Cerulean Clan coming for my head when something bad happens to her.' Kyro refused to look in Clove's direction as he spoke to Red. Mostly because he knew that if he did, he would regret everything he just said.

'Un huh. Sure.' Red muttered, much to his vessel's annoyment. But, before Kyro could respond, a loud shriek filled the air and everyone looked up in fear. An eagle flew over the tree tops and disappeared over the hill. "No need to worry. That's just Tulip. Lily's faithful and loyal familiar. She's probably letting Lily know that we're approaching." Reina smiled as she watched the bird fly away.

Lord Arkos stepped forward. "I thought the King and Queen were going to meet us at the gates, not this Lily." Reina flashed him an annoyed look. "They are, but Lily is...you know what. I'll just explain everything when we get there." She quickly hurried up the hill and waved to someone. Kyro and Clove looked at each other for a second before they practically ran after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think is going to happen next? Was Reina telling the truth about the fire-wielding woman? You tell me. Alright everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I hope everyone has a great day. Once again, I'm sorry if the chapter feels a little rushed, but the will to write just wasn't in me this week, but I promise, the next chapter will be better. Until next Thursday.


	10. Home for Some

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clove and Kyro finally meet the famous Lily and both are shocked when they see her and when they hear what she reveals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for 601 hit. And a big thank you to chatnoiristhebest5 and three guests for leaving kudos. And an one more thank you to chatnoiristhebest5 for commenting. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

She was waving to a pair of guards standing on top of a tall wall built in a split between two mountains. The tall gate that was in the center of the wall, had two dragons painted on it. One on each door, one was a Crimson and the other, a Cerulean. Two statues, a Crimson and a Cerulean, were built on top of the wall, the two guards stood between them. Their chest plates were made from a blue metal, their arm plates were gold. A red belt was around their waists and a blue belt was on top of the red and a purple headband was tied around their heads. Both guards had a sword at their hip, the scabbard and the handle of the swords were purple. And both guards held wooden staffs in their hands. 

"Welcomed back Reina!" The female guard yelled as the other pointed to something behind him. Before Reina could respond, a loud roar filled the air and the people of both clans cried out in fear as a blue dragon climbed onto the mountain just above the gates.

Clove narrowed her eyes as she took in the dragon. Its scales weren't the same cerulean blue as Amyah's, this one had water blue scales, its horns and claws were a watery gray, and its fur fell gracefully down its neck like a waterfall.

The dragon growled as it jumped down and headed straight for Reina. "Every single time!" Reina stood frozen as did the others. "REINA, LOOK OUT!" Clove yelled at the same time, small, glowing water drops fell off the dragon as it shifted back into the form of its vessel, just inches from Reina. The purple haired woman found herself in the embrace of her best friend. "It's good to see you too, Lily."

The people of both clans gasped when they saw the woman known as Lily. Kyro, Kirra, Kharis, Lord Arkos, and Raizo only looked at her in disbelief when she turned to look at them.

Lily had bright red hair, streaked with dark blue, her eyes were sea blue, and she was a couple of inches taller than Reina. She wore a silk, short sleeved, purple shirt, and pants with an open skirt, as well as high purple boots. Her bright red and dark blue was tied back in a tight braid and she wore no make-up. But, what shocked Kyro the most, was the hairpin that sat on the right side of her head and he found himself being sucked into a memory.

It was a golden water lily with a ruby in the center. "Do you think she'll like it?" Kiren asked fearfully. "I think she will." Kyro said as he looked at the hairpin his older brother had made. "Okay, good. I just want everything to be perfect." Kyro assumed it was a betrothal gift and Kiren never said otherwise. "Okay, I have to go or I'll be late. See you late, little brother. " with that, Kyro's older brother took off down the palace steps before shifting into dragon form and flying away.

Kyro was pulled back into reality as he stared at that very same hairpin sitting in a Cerulean's hair. 'Maybe Lily really did betray my brother.' Kyro thought as he stepped forward to speak, however, Lord Arkos stepped beat him to it, anger glowing in his eyes. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded as Lily opened her mouth to speak. "What do you hope to gain by dressing up that way?" Both Reina and Lily narrowed their eyes at the man.

"I hope to gain nothing but the new people who are to be taking up residence in my kingdom." Kyro gasped when she spoke. He recognized her voice and Clove reached out to take his hand in hers. Kirra stepped forward at Lily’s words. "You're kingdom?" Lily nodded. " Yes, allow me to introduce myself. I am Queen Lily. Queen of the Mixture Clan." Reina smirked as everyone gasped. The gates opened and Lily turned as another woman walked out.

She wore the same type of armor as the guards, but she had a blue-gold helmet and a small golden dragon head on each shoulder. The one on her left shoulder had red eyes and the one on her right shoulder had blue eyes. She had light purple eyes like Reina and she was a good foot taller than Lily. "Hello, Regina." The woman nodded and pulled off her helmet to reveal her purple hair in a pixie cut. To some of the Crimsons, she looked distantly familiar, but Raizo, the Generals, and Crimson royals all gasped when they recognized her. “Regina?” Razio asked as he took a cautious step forward. “Hello Uncle.” She said flatly and Lily frowned. “Now, Regina, you know that we need to make everyone here feel welcome.” Regina merely rolled her eyes at the Queen’s statement.

“I thought you were dead.” Raizo muttered and Regina nodded. “That was the point. Renda and I wanted to get away from the Crimson Clan. Only Reina agreed to go back every now and then.” Before anyone could say anything, Lily stepped in. “Alright everyone, as you already heard, this is Regina. Grand Marshal of the Mixture Clan. She will show you to where you’ll all be staying. I will show the royals of both clans. Regina nodded at her queen as she led the people through the gates.

However, Lord Arkos stopped. "I don't trust this place enough to let Clove go alone." Kyro turned to face Clove's uncle. "She won't be alone…" Lord Arkos cut him off. "I don't trust you either." Lily quickly stepped in before things could escalate. "If it makes you feel any better, Lieutenant Aaron and Captain Nouren can come with us."

Lord Arkos looked from Lily to Clove before nodding. On his command, Aaron and Nouren stepped forward and Arkos followed the rest of his people. Raizo's eyes never left Lily as he walked away, watching with a hopeful yet disbelieving expression on his face. 

Reina turned to Lily. “Lils, if it’s alright with you, I’m going to unwind.” Lily nodded at her friend's request. “Go on ahead, Rein. You know you don’t have to ask.” Reina smiled and turned to walk off. Kyro turned to the person next to him, which happened to be Aaron. “I want you to follow her and see what she’s up to. I don’t trust her.” For the first time, Aaron nodded at Kyro’s orders. “Neither do I.” With that, Aaron started off in the direction Reina was walking in.

“Now…” Lily looked over at Clove. “It’s good to finally meet you, Clove.” The young princess took a small step forward. “We’re related...aren’t we?” The older woman smiled brightly and nodded. “Yes we are. You and I...we are sisters.” A gasp rang through the small group of people. Lily was the only one who did not react to the news. “Why did I...How did...Why did…?” Clove was struggling to find the words. “I'll tell you everything later. Right now, we need to get inside the gates before a rival clan sees you here.” The gates opened once more and the small group hurried through.

Kharis gasped at the beauty that was hidden by the gates. Before the small group, lay several miles of pure untouched grasslands. A few feet to the right, carriages were taking the people of the red and blue clans away. But that’s not what shocked the people the most. It wasn’t the emerald green grass or the bright and vibrant wildflowers. No, it was the amount of dragons that roamed the plains. There were at least fifty in each direction. Some were walking around the grassy fields, others were flying around, and few were lounging in what looked either lakes or rivers. Dragons of red, blue, and both. None of them were even growling.

Far in the distance, Clove spotted what looked like the outline of high walls. “Come, we’ll reach the town much faster in the horses.” Lily pointed to the small group of horses behind them and there was only one the group did not recognize. Well, at least, Kyro, Clove, Kharis, and Kirra didn’t recognize it. The massive, pure black stallion turned out to be Lily’s, Midnight Zone, as she called him. The young Queen looked tiny on the back of such a gigantic animal.

“So, Lily? How long have you been Queen of the Mixture Clan?” Kyro asked, trying to figure out if this was in fact the same Lily. “Six years.” Kirra and Kharis looked down. She had been queen for the same amount of time that Kiren had been dead. “Okay, I know everything that has happened, you all probably don’t want any more surprises.” That was true. “However, there is one more surprise in store.” Kirra glared suspiciously at the young Queen. “It’s a good one I promise.” Lily said hurriedly. “I know it’s one you Crimsons will love.” Kyro nudged his horse to move next to Lily. “You’re Majesty…”

“Please, call me Lily. Here in the Mixture Clan, we don’t use such formal titles.” The older woman smiled and Kyro nodded. “Lily, if I may ask...where did you get that hairpin?” He glanced over to his mother and sister who both nodded. “Oh, um, well, my husband gave it to me when we were still dating.” Kirra and Kharis looked at each other in a silent communication. “I wear it all the time.” The young Queen added in as she looked up at three birds of prey that were currently circling the small group. One was Raizo’s falcon, the second was Dalila, and the third was an eagle that swooped down to land on Lily’s shoulder. " Hello again, Tulip." The eagle shrieked at Lily's statement.

As they moved on, the dragons and people around them were watching with curiosity. No one seemed threatened by the newcomers. A red and blue swirled dragon flew above them, which shocked the outsiders. Lily smiled at their shock. “Sierra. She’s one of our greatest farmers.” Lily stated in a matter-of-factly tone. “I had no idea there were other dragons.” Kharis muttered in awe and the young Queen smiled once more.

“Yes. When the war between Crimsons and Ceruleans was just about to start, Red Flame and Volcanic Glacier basically ordered all other dragons out of their kingdoms. Volcanic Glacier, because she wanted the fall of the Crimson Clan to be her victory alone. And Red Flame because he didn’t want any other dragons to pay for his mistakes. Many regular humans went with them and that is how the Mixture Clan was started.” The dragons of the group looked at her in confusion. “Red Flame and Volcanic Glacier?” Clove asked as she started to put the pieces together. “Yes. Kyro’s dragon’s full name is Red Flame, but he usually just goes by Red. And the Cerulean Dragon’s full name is Volcanic Glacier, her twin brother was named Fire Ice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think of that? Where is Reina going? And what is the story behind the dragons? You tell me. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Have a great week.


	11. A Palace Unlike Any Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily tells the story of why the war started. Plus, Kirra, Kyro, Kharis, and Clove meet the King of the Mixture Clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers. Another Thursday, another chapter. Who else squealed when Kyro defended Clove in the latest episode of Subzero? I know I did. Alright, a big thank you goes to BadWriterGoodIntentions and four guests for leaving kudos and a big thank you goes to everyone for 667 hits. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

“I didn’t know the Cerulean had a twin brother.” Nouren added and Lily once again nodded. “Not uncommon with a Best of Both Worlds.” Her statement caused Clove to whip around to face her sister. “A Best of Both Worlds, are you saying the Cerulean was a half blood?” Lily merely smirked at her sister’s question. “Indeed she was. Her mother was a Crimson and her father a Cerulean. Did you honestly never question why Volcanic Glacier had Crimson horns?” Clove opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it.  
She honestly had never asked the question before. Lily only smiled and placed her hand on Clove’s shoulder. “It’s alright. No one has ever questioned it.”  
“Wait.” Kirra started. “If the Cerulean is part Crimson, then why is she trying to kill us Crimsons?” Lily sighed sadly. “It’s quite a long story. You see, in the beginning, there were three dragon clans. The Water Clan, the Fire Clan, and the Ice Clan. The Fire Dragons lived on the volcanoes, the Water Dragons lived in the ocean and by the seashore, and the Ice Dragons lived in the glaciers.” Both Kyro and Clove looked at each other when Lily mentioned the Ice Dragons and the glaciers. “Over time, some of the Fire Dragons left the volcanoes and some Water Dragons left the ocean and seashore. Over time those dragons lost their powers and their scales changed. That was how the Crimson and Cerulean Clans were born. The Ice Dragons were the only ones who didn’t have another Clan branch off from their own.”  
Both Kyro and Clove looked at each other as Lily continued. “Anyway, during the time Fire Ice was king his sister Volcanic Glacier developed a crush for a Crimson peasant named Red Flame.” Kyro’s eyes widened at the mention of his dragon’s name. “But, as fate would have it, Red’s heart belonged to someone else...The Queen of the Ice Dragons, Snowflake.” It was time for Clove’s eyes to widen at the bit of information. "Of course, while Volcanic Glacier was willing to let it go, her brother, Fire Ice, was unable to let it go. He first went to the Fire Clan and he waited until the Fire Dragons were relaxed, then he and his soldiers attacked. Killing everyone without mercy. He then headed to the Water Clan and he did the same thing. Finally, he went to the Ice Clan and killed them all as well, however he made a mistake. The Queens of each Clan were elsewhere, discussing new trade routes."  
Kirra looked down in sadness. Sadness for the Queens who were left without people to protect or serve. "When it was discovered that Fire Ice was behind the slaughters, Red Flame led a revolt against him. The three Queens were at the front with him. Fire Ice sent his twin sister away while he dealt with the four dragons. Using an old relic that shot spikes of stone, he managed to kill Waterdrop and Ember. He tried to kill Red Flame, but Snowflake shoved him out of the way." Kyro's breath caught in his throat as he realized why his dragon was so upset over no one remembering the white symbol on the scroll. "Red Flame was the one who killed Fire Ice and Volcanic Glacier declared war on the Crimson Clan afterwards."  
All of the pieces finally fell into place. "Before their deaths, the Queens bound their souls to the other realm, just in case something ever happened to their people. Water Drop's soul became the eternal water drop, Ember's soul became the eternal ember and Snowflake's became the eternal snowflake. Whomever consumed one of these eternal objects, their next child would be the vessel of that dragon." The others nodded at her statement and Kirra spoke up.  
"How many of the dragons have found vessels?" Lily glanced at Clove for a second. "So far all of them. I am the vessel of the Water Dragon, you'll meet the Fire Dragon's vessel most likely tomorrow and I have no idea who Snowflake's vessel is." Lily looked down, ashamed by her lack of knowledge. "But, all can wait. For now, welcome to the town." It was then that the small group realized how far they had actually traveled. The town's open gates were right in front of them. Lily climbed off of her horse and the others followed. The giant town was beyond words. People moved all around, all dressed in different colors and ways. The buildings that served as both homes and stores, were sturdy and well built. Each had the symbol of the Mixture Clan on the roofs. On the town's side of the gates, stood two statues of dragons. Each dragon rested the paw closest to the gateways, on spheres. The dragon on the right was a Cerulean, the one on the left, was a Crimson.  
"Wow. The people here are really dedicated to peace." Kirra muttered and Lily nodded. "It's what we live for. Peace and love." At the word love, Kyro and Clove glanced at each other both hoping the other didn't notice. It was then that Kharis noticed the palace up ahead. It wasn't as large as the Crimson palace, but it was twice as magnificent, with various shades of purple and gold. And there were no walls around it, the palace just sat open at the end of the town. A few people were even sitting on the stairs leading up to the palace. At the top stood a statue of the Mixture Clan symbol and just above the palace doors, was the stained glass window Reina had talked about.  
The Crimson royals gasped at the man in the stained glass window. He looked exactly like their brother and son. 'No. It can't be. It's just someone who looks like him.' Kyro thought in fear as he moved closer to the palace."Lily, who is that?" Kirra asked, pointing to the stained glass window. "Oh, he's my husband." The woman in question wouldn't look at the Crimson Empress, she only looked around. It was then that Nouren realized Lily didn't have any guards around her and the townspeople weren't in awe of seeing their Queen out in the open. It was as if Lily did this all the time and for all Nouren knew, she possibly did. Kirra nearly fainted when she was right next to the palace and could see the stain-glass window better. The King looked nearly identical to her son. Something wasn't right here.   
"You will all meet the King soon enough, but I ask you to please keep a clear head. He will explain everything. I promise." Kyro and Clove looked at each other before following Lily up the steps. "Welcome back, Lily." One of the guards near the entrance greeted and Lily nodded in his direction. "Thank you, Gei. You'll be happy to know Reina has returned as well." The young man smiled and blushed deeply. Kyro and Kharis looked at each other worriedly as they entered the palace.   
The floor was a light grey tile with a deep rich purple rug that started at the entrance and ran down the long hallway before stopping at a grand staircase. Tapestries with red and blue dragons decorated the walls purple columns held up the ceiling and the light shining in through the stained glass window painted the floor in beautiful transparent colors. The guests were stunned at the beauty, it would seem that even the palace was dedicated to showing peace. “Please, this way.” Lily’s voice broke them all out of their trances and they followed her almost blindly. The Mixture Queen turned to Kyro as she walked. “By the way, I hope you’ll be showing Aaron to his room when I show you all. If he’s not back by then that is.” Kyro’s head shot up to look at his sister-in-law. “What...I...How…”  
Lily smirked at his stuttering. “Don’t worry, he’s not in any harm, well, just so long as he doesn’t threaten Reina, he’ll be safe." Clove looked worriedly at Kyro and he returned the look. It would appear that nothing got past Lily.  
The Mixture Queen led the group up the marble staircase and down a short hallway. The door at the end looked like the gates leading into the grassy fields, with red and blue dragons painted on them. Kirra had a feeling the throne room sat behind the doors and she inhaled deeply. Lily didn't hesitate to push the doors open and step inside.  
The throne room was beyond magnificent. The shiny floor was the same grey tile as the rest of that palace floors, and walls were purple with tapestries and paintings of red and blue dragons, the ceiling was decorated with a gold and silver dragon. A purple rug led from the door to the steps that led to the throne. The throne on the left was blue with a red cushion and a golden dragon on the top. The throne on the right was red with a blue cushion and a golden dragon on the top. Red and blue swirled columns held up the ceiling.  
The small group gasped as Lily headed towards another door just left of the stairs. "Nouren, Clove, I think it might be best if you two left." They nodded, but Kyro spoke up. "I'd rather Clove stayed with us." Lily nodded at his request and Nouren left the room. Lily spoke with someone on the other side of the door and sighed. "Remember, keep an open mind about everything.” Clove and Kharis nodded while Kyro and Kirra narrowed their eyes. “Okay, love. Come on out.” The Mixture Queen stepped aside so the King could enter. Kyro and Kharis froze, unable to breathe and Kirra nearly fainted when the Mixture King stepped out into view.  
He was a good foot taller than Kyro with deep amber eyes, and long dark brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail. He wore a dark blue shirt and trousers, with high light brown boots, a red belt and two golden spikes, one on each shoulder.  
The Crimson royals couldn’t believe their eyes. “No. It can’t be.” Kirra muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you think the King is? Let me know what you think. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and thanks again for so many hits, kudos, and comments. I really appreciate them. Until next Thursday.


	12. Dead or Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The King tells his story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I don't about you but for me Thursday couldn't come quick enough. But now it's here, Yay! Thank you to LoisLaneKent for commenting and to two guests for leaving kudos. And I, once again, say thank you to Snowgriff for commenting again. A big thank you to everyone for 734 hits. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

“Hello mother, Kyro, Kharis. It’s good to see you all again.” Kiren bowed his head, unable to look his siblings or mother in the eyes. Clove looked back and forth between the Crimson royals and the Mixture King before looking at Lily pointedly. 

"Clove, you and I have a lot to talk about. Come." The Princess Consort nodded and followed her sister out of the room. Leaving the Crimson royal family in the throne room alone. Kirra was the first to speak. "You're alive?" Kiren licked his lips as he tried to find the words. "Why didn't you come back?" The man in question rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I wanted to, but I thought I'd be labeled a traitor and...I couldn't just abandon Lily that way. Her or Ruby and Clover." Kyro's eyes searched his brother's face. "Ruby and Clover?" Kirra hoped her son could confirm her suspicions as to who they were. "My son and eldest daughter. They were born seven months after Lily and I married." Kharis' brain finally processed everything and tears sprang to her eyes. "Is that the whole story?" Kiren shook his head. "I'll tell you everything. From the very beginning."

Fourteen year old Kiren was exploring the neutral lands next to the border between the Crimson Clan and Cerulean Clan. He was sick of the war and just wanted to get away for a little while. He shifted into his dragon form and jumped from rock to rock. He was walking on a path between the mountains when he suddenly felt dizzy and needed to sit down. Kiren took several deep breaths as he gazed out at the thin river that flowed through the rocky sides of the mountains.

Just as Kiren was about to stand up and head back to the palace, something ran into him, knocking him off his feet. He stayed in his dragon form as he jumped back up to confront whatever or whoever ran into him, he hoped it wasn't an enemy. Kiren's eyes widened when he saw the young girl, no older than him on her knees. Her bright red hair, which was tied back in a tight braid that fell over her right shoulder, was streaked with dark blue and had a light tan seashell hair pin near her left temple. She wore a sea blue shirt with long mesh sleeves, pants with an open skirt. The skirt had thin, vertical, light grey lines making it look like a waterfall and she wore a silver necklace with a water drop pendant. Her sea grey boots had light tan soles which reminded Kiren of the beach. Her sea blue eyes stayed glued to the ground as she apologized profoundly. An eagle with a blue necklace landed next to her.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. I didn't hurt you did I?" Kiren was stunned that a Cerulean would apologize to an enemy. Kiren knew he should arrest her or take her hostage, at least that's what any other Crimson would do. However, Kiren found that not only didn't want to, but he couldn't. He hated seeing fear in her sea blue eyes and wanted to make it disappear.

He shifted back into human form and walked over to her. "It's alright. Accidents happen." He held out his hand for her to take, which she did so gratefully. A bolt of electricity shot through Kiren when her hand touched his. When she was on her feet, she looked at Kiren for the first time and his heart nearly stopped. 'She's beautiful.' He thought when her eyes met his. "I...I'm Kiren." The young prince was unable to stop the smile from coming to his face. "I'm Lilian, but you can call me Lily." She gave him an equally bright smile and both could tell that their lives would change forever.

The two spent the rest of the day talking and exploring the mountains. When the sun was setting, they made plans to meet again soon.

For the next several years, the two spent more and more time together. The more they talked, the more they found themselves falling in love with each other. During their time together they even talked about finding ways to end the war peacefully, including a marriage between them. However, Lily knew her mother would never allow it. Kiren knew his mother liked Lily because she told him so, but the Empress didn't know Lily was a Cerulean. But, thankfully, Kirra had gotten to know Lily first, so maybe she could overlook that small detail.

Unfortunately, the Cerulean Queen would never agree to their plan. So, they kept their idea a secret until Lily could convince her mother to go along with it. However, all too soon, Lily's mother, Lorelei, discovered her daughter was in a secret relationship with the enemy and accused her of treason before banishing the eldest Cerulean Princess.

Lily wrote Kiren a sweet letter telling him that she was going away and she hoped they would see each other again someday. The second he read her letter, Kiren was in his dragon form and running off to find her. It didn't take him long. He immediately shared his heart with her.

"Lily, I love you. With all I am and with all I will ever be. Please come back, we'll figure something out together. I know my people will love you and if they don't...I'd rather give up the throne and the crown, than lose you." Kiren was unaware of the four Crimson soldiers who were eavesdropping in on their conversation and decided to take action. Kiren was shot in the shoulder with an arrow and Lily didn't hesitate to grab him and run. She didn't want to kill anyone, especially the people whom she had come to love. "We'll have to find a way to get around those soldiers and get back to the Crimson Palace before their messenger can."

Kiren nodded as Lily bandaged his shoulder. He opened his mouth to reply, but someone else's chuckle cut him off. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? A couple who's lost and in need of a place to stay." Seven men, dresses in dark red clothing and dark grey armor stepped out of the shadows. "Oh, we're not lost, we just stopped for a quick break and now we're heading on our way." Lily and Kiren stood, but one man stepped forward. "Oh no. You two look like you need a good night sleep. You're just in luck, for the King Cion's Clan has plenty of inns. Come with us."

Lily had a very bad feeling about these men and politely shook her head. "Thank you so much for the generous offer, but we really need to be on our way." Another man stepped forward. "It wasn't a request. Get them, men!" Kiren and Lily shifted into dragon form, but the men had already long hollowed out sticks which held a dart that was soaked in a special sedative that was powerful enough to take down a full grown dragon three times. Neither Kiren nor Lily was fast enough to avoid getting hit with the darts.

The last thing Kiren saw was Lily struggling to stay awake, but failing miserably. When he woke up, Kiren was in a dark cell of some kind with a small window at the top. "He's awake." Someone yelled and four guards came in and led him away. A metal band was wrapped tightly around his right upper arm and Kiren found he was unable to feel his dragon buzzing in his mind. The guards led him through a series of hallways all decorated with red and blue dragons. Kiren noticed how someone had tried to cover up the blue dragons, but failed miserably.

Finally, Kiren entered the throne room, where the King and Queen were sitting on blue and red thrones. The young prince recognized the Queen as Sahara, the daughter of a royal court member. "Oh, what do we have here? Prince Kiren." Sahara sneered happily and turned to the King. "Tell me dear, what are we going to do with the lovely young woman he was with?" Kiren's eyes widened at the mention of Lily. "Leave her out of this, Sahara." Both royals looked at him in interest for a few seconds before the King spoke. "Take him to the fields. He'll see soon enough how powerful we can be. And, make sure his little Cerulean is well taken care of."

Kiren lunged forward at his statement. "Listen to me. If you hurt her in any way, I swear that I will hunt you down and…" Both King and Queen laughed. "Big talk for one who's in chains." The young prince tried to shift, but he found he couldn't and once again Sahara laughed. "You have the band on your arm to thank for your inability to shift. Take him away."

However, Kiren never made it to the field. A group of Ceruleans attacked the guards and pulled Kiren into an underground tunnel. They explained that they were freedom fighters, trying to take down the King and Queen so their people may once again live in peace. The young prince instantly asked if anyone had seen a redheaded Cerulean and was devastated when no one could recall seeing her.

The young prince fought with the rebellion for a month before getting a report that a mass escape of the palace maids happened. Forty five maids in all, Kiren recognized two of them. One was Lily, the other was Reina. It took another week before the final battle took place and the rebels won back their freedom, with help from the Great Dragons of course. During the fight, the statues and paintings of dragons started spewing lava from their mouths. It covered the battle field and town, including the palace. When it dissipated, only the townspeople were left and the town looked like it had before Cion's reign began.

During the fight, Cion tried to escape, but Kiren confronted him and took out the King once and for all. The Great Dragons declared him the King after his victory and when he was reunited with Lily, the young prince proposed. It was then that she told him about the heirs she was carrying, at that moment, Kiren knew he couldn't go back. Not while he was labeled a traitor and traitors were always dealt with. Two weeks later, Lily was crowned the Queen as she and Kiren were married. 

Kirra was having a hard time processing all the information her son was sending her way. "We were told you had died in battle." Kiren nodded solemnly. "Yes, I know. Reina told us about a week after Clove arrived at the Crimson Palace. If I had known, I would've reached out sooner." Kiren looked down in shame. "When Lily and I learned about the false story, we decided to wait until after your wedding to reach out and offer to open trade routes. Unfortunately, we discovered a rival clan was responsible for the attempted assassination of Clove, obviously that took up a lot of our attention." Kyro nodded. His brother's explanation did sound reasonable. "But, why would the soldiers say you were dead when you weren't?" Kharis spoke up and Kiren sighed at his sister's words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do you think the soldiers lied? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I honestly cried when I saw that this story had over 700 hits. It's my most popular story despite it being my youngest. Thank you everyone. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next Thursday.


	13. The Cerulean Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily tells Clove the story of their mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. I want to say thank you to the two guest for leaving kudos. And a big thank you to everyone for 811 hits. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

"Our mother fell in love with a soldier, before she met the man she would come to marry later on. And from that love came me. But, before mom discovered she was pregnant with me, she discovered the truth about my father, about what he was." Clove tilted her head as she watched her older sister move around the library, searching for a specific scroll. "And, what was he?" Lily paused as she tried to find the right words. "He was a spy." Clove gasped. 

Clove didn't know what to say. "Did he know about you?" Lily shook her head and pulled a scroll off of one of the shelves. "I honestly don't know. I doubt he does. I don't even know exactly who my father is." Lily grabbed another scroll. Clove sighed in relief as the Mixture Queen grabbed another scroll. Clove could tell Lily wanted to say more, so the younger woman tilted her head, silently urging the Queen to continue.

“There’s a prophecy." Lily said, changing the subject. "Once all of the Element Dragons claim power over their vessels, the land that holds the Clans of Hate will fall. Well, the dragons of water and fire had power over their vessels from the very beginning, but the dragon of ice never had power over her vessel. Until now. The Cerulean Dragon, Volcanic Glacier, prevented the Ice Dragon Queen, Snowflake from claiming power. However, a few days ago, when the Crimson and Cerulean Clans fell twenty leaks below, Snowflake was able to make Volcanic Glacier let go of the vessel of ice. And two days ago, the Snowflake killed Volcanic Glacier.” Clove looked at her sister in confusion. “Clove, I think you are the vessel of Snowflake.” The younger woman instantly started shaking her head.

“No, I can’t be. I don’t have a dragon mark and I haven’t even shifted. How…?” Lily stepped forward and set the scrolls down. “The prophecy never said all of the vessels had to shift into their dragons. It just said all Element Dragons had to claim power over their vessels and if Snowflake managed to back Volcanic Glacier down, then she technically claimed her vessel.” Clove was silent as she thought about what Lily had just said.

“So, you think I am the Ice Dragon’s vessel?” The older woman shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out. By visiting the Ice Kingdom. Up in the glaciers. But first, Reina said you received a scroll with the Ice Clans symbol on it. I need to see it.” Clove nodded, pulled it out of her bag and handed it to her sister.

Lily smiled as she read the ancient words that were written on the paper. It was clear to Clove that the Mixture Queen was able to read the words perfectly, based on the way the older woman smiled brightly. "This answers my question. Clove, you are the Ice Dragon's vessel. The Fire Queen and I both received a scroll similar to this one a few days after we first used our powers. We must get you to the Ice Kingdom as soon as possible." Clove couldn't suppress the smile that was sneaking onto her face. 'Finally. Did you hear that, mother? I'll finally be able to shift…' Clove froze at the thought of her mother and looked back at Lily who was rambling on. "We might want to leave first thing tomorrow at dawn. It will take us a few days to reach your kingdom, but…"

"Lily? Why didn't my mother ever tell me about you? I mean, I think I know why she didn't tell the Cerulean Clan about you, but I'm your sister." The woman in question sighed but sat down across from her younger sister. "A part of our mother hated me, because of who my father was and it didn't help when she started playing with magic." Clove gasped at the last part. "Magic, but how would…" Lily let out a humorless laugh. "There are relics and objects that were created when two dragons combined their powers. Whether it was a Fire and Water Dragon or a Fire and Ice Dragon, they could all combine their powers to make a relic, however the consequences of using a magic infused object were catastrophic. You would always lose a part of yourself." Lily sighed and she suddenly looked much older than she actually was. “So, they were banned and it was illegal to make them. Many were destroyed, but some were hidden away. Our mother found one of these relics and she started using it. She hoped she could use it to win the war, but she couldn’t quite figure out how to use that particular relic. So, instead, she just started losing pieces of her soul.”

Clove looked down in sadness before she realized something. “But wait, she never showed any ill-intent towards me.” Lily sighed in relief. “Thank goodness.” She inhaled once more before speaking. “That’s because mother loved you with all her heart and she hadn’t lost much of her soul at the time.”

"What do you mean at the time?" The Mixture Queen frowned. "The relic our mother first found was a small one, but the one she found during the attack was much more powerful and took more of her. It's why she wanted to take you to the home of the original Cerulean Dragon. Because of the most powerful relic that was said to reside there." Clove frowned. "Did she find it?" Much to Clove's horror, her sister nodded. "When she first used it, the relic separated her dragon from her." The younger woman sighed in relief. "So, it was Volcanic Glacier who died, not our mother." Clove's heart dropped when Lily shook her head. 

"Volcanic Glacier recognized the relic that our mother was after, and she convinced another half bred Cerulean to trade places with her." Her words took her younger sister by surprise. "Wait, dragons can trade vessels?" Lily nodded. "It's rare, but it happens. It's how Red Flame and Volcanic Glacier stayed alive for so long. When a vessel dies, so does the dragon, but by changing vessels, they stayed alive. However, if a dragon doesn't claim a vessel, then they just live out their natural lives."

"Volcanic Glacier wanted to live so she could be the one to take down the Crimson Clan and Red Flame wanted to live because he had hope he could see his true love again." Once again the Mixture Queen nodded. "Wait, there are some dragons in the other realm without vessels?"

"Not when the dragons first bound themselves to vessels. But over time dragons fell in love and had children. Those children didn't have vessels so they chose humans without dragons. However, when a dragon chooses a human to be their vessel, that human has to earn their marks and won't receive them until they do. In order to earn them, the human must prove that they accept all people. Not just those from their clan." It was Clove's turn to nod at the information given to her by her older sister. "I never knew about any of this."

"Not many people outside of the Mixture Clan do. It's something we have discovered after three hundred years of peace and prosperity." Clove looked down in shame. This clan was able to last three hundred years without being split by war, yet the Crimson and Cerulean Clan couldn't even go three days without a problem. 

Lily smiled brightly before picking up the scrolls once more and handing them to her younger sister. "Waterdrop told me about the ruined scrolls. These probably out date the scrolls you were originally given." The princess consort gasped as she gently took the scroll. "I can't accept these, Lily…"

"Yes you can, Clove. Besides, this clan has over a hundred copies. As does the Water Clan, the Fire Clan, and from what I've told, so does the Ice Clan. In fact, these scrolls may have actually come from the Ice Clan." Clove looked at her sister in confusion. "Before the slaughter happened, the Clans traded everything." Lily tapped one of the scrolls. "This scroll could've been written in the Water Clan and was given to the Fire Clan, then was moved to the Cerulean Clan, before heading to the Crimson Clan. Every scroll moved everywhere. Another plus, these scrolls are both fire and waterproof." This time, the princess consort looked shocked. "What? You can't take scrolls to the Water and Fire Clans if they're going to get ruined or destroyed by water and fire."

"Good point." Lily shook her head. "Enough of this history lesson. I bet you haven’t yet seen what this kingdom has to offer? Please allow Kiren and I to show you around our town.” Clove smiled brightly and nodded her head. “I think the others will enjoy that. I know I will.” It was Lily’s turn to smile brightly. “Good. My husband should be done getting yelled at by our mother-in-law by now.” Clove laughed at the Queen’s statement. “So, let’s go get him and your group. You can just leave the scrolls here for now. I'll have someone deliver then to your room." The princess consort nodded and stood up to follow the Queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you all think? Who do you think the Fire Dragon's vessel is? Let me know. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Until next Thursday.


	14. A Place Unlike Any Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crimson and Cerulean royals get a tour of the Mixture Clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. I'd like to say thank you to LoisLaneKent and a guest for leaving kudos. And a second thank you goes to LoisLaneKent for you comment, it actually brought tears to my eyes. And a big thank you goes out to everyone for 888 hits. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

"But, why would the soldiers say you were dead when you weren't?" Kharis spoke up and Kiren sighed at his sister's words. "Probably because they knew no one would believe them if they called him a traitor." A woman said and the Crimsons turned to see an older woman standing in the doorway. Her dark grey hair was pulled up in a tight bun and she wore a dark red robe with a blue belt. Kiren bowed his head in her direction.

"Most likely, you're not wrong, Shay." Kirra narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What do you mean by that?" Shay turned towards the Crimson Empress. "Think about it, You're Majesty. If those four soldiers told you that your son, the Crimson Clan's most esteemed dragon betrayed his kingdom, would you have believed him. I certainly wouldn't." Kirra sighed in defeat. Shay was right. 'I would never believe someone if they told me that any of my children had betrayed us.' The Crimson Empress thought to herself as she met her eldest's eyes.

"Anyway, I came to tell you that Empress Kirra's medical tea has been prepared for when she needs it." Kiren nodded. "Thank you, Shay." The older woman bowed her head slightly and walked out. Kirra was stunned to hear that Kiren had thought to order her medical tea to be made. "Kiren, you…" To her surprise, her son shook his head. "No, actually, Lily was the first one to receive the message that you were arriving today. The second she read the message, she ordered Shay to make the tea. In fact, mother, the very second Reina told her about your illness, Lily ordered the cure to be picked and readied."

"She seems like a good person." Kiren nodded and Kharis realized something. "Does Reina tell Lily every single thing?" Once again, Kiren nodded. "Yes, whenever Reina arrives, Lily is the first person she sees and Dalila delivers all letters directly to Lily, then she relays any information to me if I'm not already in the room." Kiren's words made Kyro realize something that he never thought of before. 

"Wait, is Lily the reason why you insisted on preserving the antiques in the royal study?" Kyro was finally realizing that the truth had been right in front of him the entire time. "Yes. I wanted people to see how grand the two dragons looked together, perhaps then, more people would be on the side of peace. It was safer than to just come out and say it." Kyro saw his brother's point, it was safer to subtly ease an idea into people's minds than to force it.

A knock on the door ended the conversation. Kiren turned around in time to see the door open and the two Cerulean sisters walk in. "I hope we're not interrupting anything. If so, we can come back…"

"No, it's alright, love. We're not discussing anything that you have not already heard a million times before." Kiren was relieved to see his beloved wife as she was relieved to see her husband. "What can I do for you ladies?" Clove looked to her sister before turning her eyes to meet Kyro's. "Well, I was wondering if the royals here would like to see all this wonderful kingdom has to offer? Clove already said she would, but do the rest of you?" Kirra looked to her son and daughter. She could tell that Kharis was excited to explore her new surroundings and Kyro wanted to go to just keep Clove safe

"We would be happy to see the town." Both the King and Queen smiled brightly. "Then what are we waiting for? Let us get going." The small group nodded before heading out. Nouren was waiting outside the door, he sighed in relief when he saw Kharis. Kyro narrowed his eyes at the Cerulean captain.

The town was even more beautiful and lively then when they first arrived. People wandered around shopping,talking, and some were dancing to music. In the crowd, Kyro spotted Aaron and signaled him over.

"What was Reina up to?" The Crowned Prince asked and Aaron shrugged. "I have no idea. She went into that building, but I wasn't allowed in." Aaron pointed to a large building next to a stage and Kyro frowned. 'What is she up to?' Kyro thought as he noticed a bunch of guards standing near the stage.

"Oh, the performers must be performing." Kiren muttered as the small group walked over to see the dancers.

Kyro, Kharis, Clove, and Aaron all gasped when they saw the main dancer. Reina sang to the music as she jumped and twirled. Her voice was powerful and strong yet calm. She wore a dark blue shirt with wide, mesh sleeves and dark blue pants with a mesh skirt. Kyro noticed a dark purple dragon that was barely visible on the fabric of her right arm.

The crowd applauded when the song ended and Reina waved happily, a giant grin on her face. It was clear to see that she felt at home when she was dancing. Nouren looked over to see Raizo and the other three generals death glaring at the young purple haired woman.

The crowd dispersed and Lily rushed forward to hug the young woman. "It's good to see you dancing once again, old friend." Reina's smile only brightened. "It's good to be dancing again. By the way, Lils. Is it alright if I took a hot bath tonight?" Lily nodded. "Of course. You know you don't have to ask." Reina rolled her eyes at the Queens statement and the small group looked confused at Reina's question.

"Reina, I had no idea that you were a dancer." Kharis stepped forward as the purple haired woman nodded. "I have been for quite sometime now." The youngest princess couldn't help but smile. It was hard to find women who were as passionate about dancing as she was.

"So, Reina, do you want to help Kiren and I show the group around?" Reina sighed in sadness. "Unfortunately, I can't. I need to get going if I'm…" Lily nodded understandingly. "I understand. Be careful, Rei." Reina rolled her eyes. "When am I not careful?" Lily shot her a look that made the other woman stutter. "Oh, in, don't answer that." With that, Reina ran off past the buildings and headed out into the field.

Aaron looked to Kyro who nodded and the lieutenant began following her. After three months, the two men had begun to respect each other a little and they even trusted one another to some degree, but that was only because they both wanted the best for Clove. And both men knew that Clove would not be happy with invading someone else’s privacy without any proof against the person.

Lily and Kiren showed them around the town. All had to admit, it was quite beautiful and the people were so nice, it was a little unnerving not to have any guards around, but both Kiren and Lily seemed to trust their people greatly. Many even came up to welcome the royals to their humble clan, even though it was anything but humble. Clove couldn’t help but feel at home in this strange new world.

During their tour, Lily filled everyone in on what she thought was going on, both with the disappearance of the Crimson and Cerulean Clan and with Clove. And she told them all where they would need to go to help out her younger sister. Kyro couldn’t help but smell a trap and he approached the Queen when his brother stopped at a food stand to order a Mixture Clan delicacy for the small group to enjoy.

“So, Lily, do you really think Clove is the Ice Dragon’s vessel?” Lily shrugged. “All of the clues point to her being the Ice Queen, not to mention the scroll she received is the biggest clue, but we won’t know for sure until she gets to the Ice Kingdom. However, I am one hundred percent sure that she is, in fact, the Ice Queen.” Kyro looked down at his sister-in-law who was deep in thought. “Knowing both you and Clove, you’ll both want her to be able to shift as soon as possible, in that case we should probably leave as soon as we can.”

The Crowned Prince was shocked at Lily’s quick planning. “Perhaps first thing tomorrow would be our best bet. What do you think?” Once again, Kyro was shocked by Lily’s words. “I can’t help but think this is a trap. However, I also want Clove to be able to defend herself properly. I think we should go as soon as possible. But we should also ask the others.” Lily nodded. “Yes, of course. I am going to ask them, but since you’re the one closest to me right now, I figured I’d ask you first.”

"Here you all go." Kiren, Nouren, and Clove returned with several small plates of pink fruit and chopsticks. Nouren handed a plate to Kirra and Kharis. Kiren handed a plate to Lily and Clove handed one to Kyro. "Honey glazed dragon fruit. A Mixture Clan delicacy." It was the best thing the Crimsons and Ceruleans had ever tasted. It was both sweet and tangy.

As they ate, Lily filled them in on the plan, Kirra was the only one who decided not to go along. " Of course, I'm guessing Arkos would want Aaron to go along to make sure Clove is safe." Almost everyone nodded and it was at that moment that Kyro realized there was some one whom they had yet to meet. "Lily, you mentioned there was a Fire Queen." The woman in question nodded. "When do we get to meet her?"

"She'll meet us at the base of Volcano Mountain tomorrow. She's spending the night in the Fire Kingdom. Those who are the vessels of Element Dragons do that twice a month." Clove grasped every word her sister spoke. "Is it bad for the dragon or vessel if you don't?" Kiren and Lily shook their heads. "No, it just makes our dragons feel safe and at home. Plus we tend to sleep better when we're in our element, so it refreshes us as well. So, Clove, if you are in fact the Ice Queen, then I recommend you spend at least two nights a month in the Ice Palace. However, you don’t actually have to." Clove had already decided that she would, Kyro silently prayed that she would.

"Alright, it's getting late. Let us show you to your rooms." Kiren stood and the rest followed. However, when Clove stood, she was struck by a wave of dizziness and grabbed on to the first thing she could, which happened to be Kyro's arm. 

Her husband looked at her in concern. "Clove, what's wrong? Are you alright?" The attention was turned towards her. "Yeah, I'm...I'm fine. Just tired from the long journey." Kyro and Kharis were the only ones who were not convinced. "Clove, you promised me you would see the royal physician when we arrived here." The Princess Consort nodded at Kharis' statement. "We can have Shay or Nevil give her a quick checkup when we get back to the palace." Kiren suggested and Lily agreed. "Alright. But I promise you all I'm fine." Kyro rolled his eyes and shook his head. 'Clove, never change.' He thought fondly as they headed back for the palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is Reina up to? Let me know what you think. Also, next week I will finally reveal who the fire queen is. Who do you think she is? I also wanted to ask, what's the main thing you're hoping to see in this fanfic? Thank you all so much for reading this and for all of the support. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Until next Thursday.


	15. The Fire Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron meets the Fire Queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ! Okay, so, when I first started writing this fabrication, I kept on changing who the Fire Queen was. I just couldn't decide on who to make her. So finally I wrote a bunch of names on different pieces of paper, (Mai, Renda, Regina, Reina, another character, etc) and I put the pieces of paper in a bowl, hosted them up and I grabbed one out at random. And that's how I decided on who the Fire Queen would be. So, please don't hate me.
> 
> Also, I would like to say thank you to everyone for 951 hits. And another thank you goes out to LoisLaneKent for commenting once again. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Aaron had to admit, Reina was a hard woman to track. After she left the town, she went to the stables to retrieve her horse. Aaron hopped on his and followed her to the base of an enormous mountain that was so far away from the town, that none of the buildings could not be seen from where they were. She left her horse at the base of the mountain and started climbing. Aaron waited till she was nearly out of sight before following her. The lieutenant quickly found out what was so special about the mountain. It was a volcano.

Aaron instantly thought of the Fire Queen and could have smacked himself for not putting the pieces together sooner. The fire controlling woman in the forest must've been the Fire Queen herself. That means Reina was possibly a handmaiden to or a good friend of hers. So, that left several questions that Aaron couldn't answer. 'Why did Reina lie about who the woman was? Did she not want anyone knowing they were being followed? Or was she trying to protect the woman she serves?' So many questions, with zero answers. 

A flash of red caught the lieutenant’s attention. Reina, wearing a long red robe, was walking towards a pool of lava, next to the pool were two bright red and orange bars of soap. ‘Of course the Queen of Fire would bathe in lava. Reina must be waiting for her Queen.' However, that thought was quickly thrown out when Reina, much to Aaron’s surprise and horror, stepped into the lava. She threw her head back and took a sharp breath in, before stepping further into the pool.

When the lava was at her waist, she stopped and let the robe fall into the boiling liquid, exposing her bare back. Then, she ducked her head under the lava, disappearing from sight. Aaron sighed and came out from behind the rock he was hiding behind. ‘How am I going to explain this to everyone? Reina just stepped into lava willingly.’ He knew it was unbelievable.

He was just about to leave, when Reina rose up out of the lava. She inhaled deeply before resting her arms on the lava rock at the edge of the pool and leaning her head back. At that moment, everything fully clicked for Aaron as he realized something he would have never guessed or even suspected of before.

Reina was the Fire Queen. The contented sigh that escaped the young woman’s lips was basically overkill for Aaron as the man stumbled back and turned to leave. “It’s dangerous to travel the plains at night. Meet me by the Fire Palace in half an hour. We’ll meet up with the others in the morning.” Reina spoke without looking at Aaron and without opening her eyes.

“How did you…?” Aaron kept his eyes turned away from the purple haired woman. “You’re not the first person to follow me up here, and you won’t be the last. But you will be the first to spend the night. Just be glad I kept one guest room in the palace.” Aaron looked away and moved to leave. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll take my chances with the plains.”

“EMBER!” Suddenly, a red, black, and orange dragon leaped out from behind a large lava rock and blocked the exit. The dragon’s iridescent scales, that shifted from red to orange in the light, were lined with bright orange and it’s blood orange horns and claws were tipped with black. Aaron stumbled back as the dragon roared.

"Lily," The lieutenant whipped around to face Reina, the lava barely covering her chest, who was now grabbing one of bars of soap. It was then that Aaron noticed a round scar just below Reina's left shoulder, he quickly averted his eyes once more. "Would kill me if she knew I let a 'friend' wander the plains alone at night. And Clove would kill me for letting her best friend die." It was then that Aaron developed a small amount of respect for the Fire Queen. She could've easily let him go then told everyone she had no idea he had followed her, but instead, she was determined to keep him alive. Even if she didn't necessarily want him alive.

"Where do you want me to go?" Aaron asked as he averted his eyes once more. "I don't care at the moment. I'll be out in half an hour and I'll meet at the palace, you can't miss it." Aaron nodded and turned to go explore the volcano. "Oh and Aaron." The lieutenant turned but kept his eyes away from Reina. "Out of all the intruders I've had here, you are by far, the most polite." Aaron's brow furrowed in confusion and Reina didn't need to ask to know what he was silently asking. "Very few have caught me in this situation, but those who have, never bothered to advert their eyes. I thank you for that." The young man nodded his head and turned around. "You're welcome."

Reina watched as the young lieutenant left to explore a little, Ember following to make sure he didn’t fall into any lava rivers or pools. She couldn’t help but smile at his politeness. The only other man who ever averted his eyes was Kiren and the only reason he was there was because Reina had promised to give both he and Lily a tour of her Kingdom and they arrived early. However, Reina knew Kiren enough to know that even if Lily hadn’t been there, he would have still looked away.

But, the other few men who had caught her in that situation, never looked away. They only stared at her in delight and lust, even Daylen. Reina froze as she felt her heart flutter in her chest. 'No, no, no, no. This cannot be happening again.' The purple haired woman placed her hand over her heart. "Why am I feeling this again?” She sighed as she scrubbed at her hair. This honestly wasn't the first time her heart had fluttered this way, but it was the first time it fluttered when the person it was fluttering at wasn't trying to win it over. 

She had first felt this way when Kyro first snuck out of the palace with her and explored the town, however the lovely feeling didn't last long with him and young Reina found herself wanting their relationship to be over. But, her uncle, Raizo, forbade it, so she was beyond grateful when Kyro ended things.

The second time she felt this way was when Daylen had first given her a bouquet of roses. But, unlike with Kyro, the feeling lasted much longer and ended when he betrayed Lily. After Daylen shattered her heart, Reina vowed that she would never again fall in love with someone. And many have tried to win her over, from soldiers in the Mixture army to her fellow performers, however none had succeeded.

But then, the Cerulean lieutenant Aaron came into her life, however unlike Kyro and Daylen, Reina's heart fluttered the second she first saw him and didn't stop till several hours after.

The Fire Queen rinsed her hair and started washing her body. Men were bad news. Well, a few weren't bad, men like Kiren or Rien or Nevil weren't bad. But Reina's judgement towards those three men was biased.

"What's the matter with me? You'd think a girl would learn.” The young woman muttered as she stepped out of the lava, her regular fire gown growing out as she did. Reina couldn't help but smile down at the bright red garment. It made her feel noticed and important, not to mention the fact that she felt comfortable in it. “I'll just have to find downsides to that guy.” Taking a deep breath in, the young woman went to find her guest.

Aaron kept one eye on the Fire Dragon, who was currently drinking from a river of lava, to make sure she wasn’t going to strike at him. ‘Ember. That’s what Reina called her. I would’ve never guessed that Reina was the Fire Queen. I have to admit, she is a good actress.’ Aaron felt the blush rising on his cheeks at the thought of the purple haired woman. She made his heart skip a beat when he first saw her, but he had paid it no mind. But, then Aaron remembered when Raizo ordered her to escort him to see the royal physician. He both wanted her to come and wanted to get away from her. Then at the tea house, Aaron was impressed when she took down that drunk guy who made a move on her.

It was honestly so confusing for the young lieutenant, he didn’t know what to feel for her. Aaron couldn’t deny that he thought she was a stuck up Crimson, but then she changed, when she led the two clans to safety and when she was dancing. That was when the biggest change happened.

Once again Aaron sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. He hated these feelings, moreso now that he was finally getting over Clove.

“Lieutenant.” The man in question turned around and nearly forgot to breathe when he saw the young purple haired woman. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, please don't hate me.It was a completely random choice. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Until next Thursday.


	16. The Fire Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reina shows Aaron to his room and Kharis, Kyro, Kirra, and Clove meet Kiren and Lily's children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1000 HITS! Here is a celebratory chapter for reaching 1000 hits. THANK YOU ALL. And thank you to a guest for leaving kudos. I honestly never thought I would ever get this many hits. Once again, thank you all. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Reina wore bright red lipstick and the small golden headband she usually wore sat on her forehead. As well a golden, ruby cladded headdress that wrapped around her head and faded into her long, purple hair which was tied up in a high ponytail. A golden, ruby cladded choker hugged her neck and golden teardrop ruby earrings hung down from her ears. But it was her dress that shocked Aaron the most.

Her long dress was made out of a thick, red material with several layers on the skirt and long, wide, flowing sleeves. Intricate orange flame-like designs were on the ends of her skirt rising up to her waist and sleeves rising up to her shoulders. A large ruby sat on the high neckline and golden sparkles dropped down from the ruby. Aaron swallowed, trying to moisten his dry throat.

Ember jumped at Reina and turned into red embers when she touched her vessel's chest, disappearing into the young woman. "What just happened?" Aaron could help but feel somewhat concerned for her. "Oh, she just jumped back into the other realm. Most people don't realize that dragons can separate from their vessels. But they don't actually like to."

"Then, why did Ember separate from you?" Reina looked at him calmly. "We usually separate when we come here. That way she can spend some time in her home. But, now it's time to head to the palace. Come on." She turned to leave and Aaron rushed to catch up making sure he was careful to avoid the pools and rivers of lava.

The palace was made of lava rock and looked just like the Crimson Palace. The inside was filled with paintings of Fire Dragons surrounded by lava and statues of bright red and orange dragons. On the walls near the ceiling were dragon heads that spewed lava from their open jaws.

"Wow. This place is amazing." Reina smirked as her guest was left breathless. "And to think that for over three hundred years, this place was abandoned. When I walked in here after earning my dragon six years ago, that was the first time anything living had entered this palace." Aaron gasped at Reina's statement. The place was beautiful for being abandoned for so long.

"The only remaining guest room is this way." Aaron tilted his head in confusion. "You only have one guest room?" The young woman nodded. "Not too many people are able or want to visit a volcano. There was only one person that spent the night here. That was Lily. And the only other person who ventured up here in the last year was Yun." Aaron's head shot up at her statement. "YUN! He knows about this place?" Reina nods at his question. "His mother was one of the casualties in a battle of freedom that took place off of the Mixture Clan territory. A few of us who live in the palace took him under our wing. My sister, Regina, is training him, because he said he wanted to be Princess Ruby's personal guard when he gets older."

Aaron began putting the pieces together. "Princess Ruby...is that why Yun said he wanted to be like the Crimson Dragon." Reina smiled brightly and laughed. "Yun has a crush on Ruby. That might explain why he said that. Because her father is a Crimson." Aaron gave a small smile. He suddenly felt less offended by the young boy's statement.

"Here it is. This is the guest room. My room is right across the hall. I don't have much in the way of food, but I do have dried fruits and roasted nuts." She walked into the guest room and pointed to a red cabinet right next to the door. "The food and some canteens of water are in here."

Aaron nodded before looking around the room. It was simple. A black bed with red sheets sat on the far wall, a black nightstand sat next to it, and a red dresser sat next to the cabinet. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." With that, Reina left and went into her own room. Aaron sighed and sat on the bed, his mind was just now wrapping around everything he learned.

Reina was beyond grateful when she closed the door to her room. It was good to be back in her home away from home. She sighed and looked around with a smile. Her room was fancier and hotter than the guest room. A black canopy bed with transparent orange silk hanging down from the top, and red sheets was pressed up against the far wall. A red and gold armoire stood on the left side of the door and on the right was an orange and gold dresser. A large balcony window was on the right wall and a pool of hot lava ran around the bed with two narrow lava rock bridges on each side.

"It's good to be back in my element." With a wave of her hand, her fire dress was replaced with a bright red nightgown with orange flame-like designs on the hem. Once again, Reina smiled before climbing into bed and falling into a deep sleep.

"Mom, Kharis, Kyro, Clove...You all haven't yet met our children." Kirra perked up at the mention of her grandchildren. She watched as Lily knocked on a door decorated with red and blue dragons before opening the door and entering. Soon after, three children came out, two girls and one boy, followed by Lily who was holding a baby. Two of the children looked to be six years old, the third, looked about four and the baby couldn't have been older than three months. "Mom, this is Ruby, Clover, Seraphina, and Pearl."

Ruby had long brown hair, tan skin, and sea blue eyes. Clover had short red hair, pale skin, and yellow eyes. Seraphina had brown hair which faded into red, light tan skin, and blue eyes with yellow radiating from her pupils. Pearl had red and brown streaked hair, pale skin, her left eye was blue, and her right was yellow.

The three older children smiled brightly at the sight of their family members. Kirra nearly cried when Lily handed Pearl to her, and Kharis couldn't stop smiling. Clover hesitantly approached his Aunt Clove. 

"You're Aunt Clove, right?" The Princess Consort nodded with a bright smile. "So, you're the woman I'm named after." His words shocked Clove profoundly. "Named after?"

"Yes." Kiren approached his sister-in-law. "I remember how excited Lily was when she found out she was going to be a big sister. But, when your mother told her you were a stillborn. She cried. I actually held her as she sob over the lost little sister she thought she would never know. When Lily told me she was pregnant, I vowed that one of our children would be named in your honor." Clove felt like she couldn't breathe, not in a bad way, but in a grateful way. "Really?" Kiren smiled and nodded. 'I wonder what Kyro and I will name our child.'

The Princess Consort froze at the thought. 'Where on earth did that come from? Kyro and I haven't even discussed having children.' Even though the elders demanded they do, the royal couple had yet to have a full talk about that particular subject. But, in that moment, Clove's stomach clenched with want and another dizzy spell hit, but it wasn't as strong as the others.

Kyro gave a small smile at the sight of Pearl in his mother's arm and the genuine delight on her face at seeing her granddaughter. Kyro looked down at his nieces and nephew. They all looked so alike, yet so different. He looked over at Clove, who was talking with his brother and Clover. It was then, that Kyro noticed how much Clover resembled his aunt. 'I wonder what our child will look like.'

The Crowned Prince froze at the thought. 'Why on earth did I just have that thought? I don't know if Clove even wants to ever have children.’ She said she didn’t want to have children right then and they had never discussed the subject and further before. No matter how much the elders pestered them about having an heir. But, in that moment, Kyro couldn't help but imagine Clove holding a baby with her hair and his eyes. It was a fantasy that would most likely never come true. 

"You all must be exhausted. Your rooms are this way." Kharis eagerly takes Pearl from Kirra. She was excited to hold her infant niece, even if it's only for a few minutes. "This one can be Nouren's room, Kharis, yours is right next to his." Kiren winked at his little sister who blushed deeply. Both Kirra and Kyro looked at him in confusion but said nothing and Kiren gestured to his mother.

"Mom. This room can be yours if you like it." Kirra turned her eyes over to Lily who smiled brightly at her mother-in-law. The Crimson Empress couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you both. We are in your debt." Lily stepped forward shaking her head. "Oh no, You're Majesty. We always help our family." Kirra could only smile as she entered her room.

"Kyro, Clove, this room can be yours. Please get some rest. We all have a long day tomorrow." Both royals nodded and entered their room.

The room was magnificent with violet walls and a ceiling decorated with blue and red dragons. A brown canopy bed with transparent red silk hanging down from the top and blue sheets sat on the right wall. A brown tea table and two chairs were by the left wall, a brown dresser and armoire are next to the tea table. On the other side of the room, was a balcony window. 

"It's beautiful." Clove mutters as she looks around. Kyro looks at her and agrees, but he can't help but voice his concerns. With a heavy sigh, Kyro sits down on the bed. "Clove, tomorrow I...I want you to stay close to either Kharis or I. If anything should happen, we can shift." It was now Clove's turn to sigh.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried. But, this is a chance I have to take." Kyro narrowed his eyes at her statement. "It's a chance WE have to take. I'm not letting you go through this alone." Now, Clove sighed in surrender and her stomach rolled. She slapped her hand to her mouth to hold back the sickness.

"Clove, you need to see the physician." The young princess rolled her eyes. "Kyro, I promise I'm fine.” Another wave of dizziness hit. “Stress has been high recently. But, before we leave tomorrow, I will see the physician.”

Kyro sighed and nodded. He was too tired to argue right now. It could wait until morning. Both royals laid down and Kyro immediately wrapped his arms around Clove and pulled her close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's wrong with Princess Clove? Let me know what you think. Once again, thank you all for 1000 hits. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	17. The Physician

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Princess Clove finally goes to see the physician for a quick check up about her illness and the group heads out on their journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. A big thank you goes out to Archie4ever for leaving Kudos and another thank you goes out to Snowgriff for commenting. And a big thank you goes out to everyone for 1051 hit. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

When Kyro opened his eyes, he was no longer in the Mixture Palace, instead he was in a small, snow covered field surrounded by mountains. At first the young prince thought he was in his dragon's realm, but it didn't feel the same.

A movement off to the right caught Kyro's attention. He almost forgot how to breathe when he turned and caught sight of Princess Clove. Her back was to him and her fiery red hair was pulled up in a tight bun with a snowflake hairpin holding the bun in place. She wore a glittering white, sleeveless gown, that showed off her upper back and hid her lower. It clung tightly to her upper body and flared out slightly at the waist in a single layered skirt. Although it was nearly impossible to tell, glittering snowflakes decorated the skirt. A small band of tiny snowflakes was wrapped around her right upper arm and a white choker necklace hugged her throat.

Kyro gasped as he noticed the dragon mark at the base of her neck. The ice blue dragon had its mouth open and it held a snowflake in its right paw. It's snout was on the very base of her neck and it swirled to disappear underneath her gown. Kyro swallowed and tried to remember how to breathe. She looked breathtaking, more so than she usually did.

The young prince stepped forward and reached out. "Clove…" A roar came from behind him, but before he could turn around, a beautiful, pure white dragon leaped over his head and landed right next to the young princess. The dragon leaned down so that her head was right next to Clove's. "My vessel." Her voice was calm, soothing, and gentle. It was the same voice that Kyro heard calling Red Flame's name.

"I promise, she will be safe and sound." Clove turned her head slightly. "Right, Kyro. You'll help me protect her, right?" Kyro looked at his wife in confusion. "Who?" Clove turned her head even more. Now, Kyro could see half of her face. She wore light blue eyeshadow and bright red lipstick. Her lips parted slightly and she frowned before looking back down. "Kyro, please promise me that you will help me protect her." The young prince took another step forward. "Clove, who do you want me to protect?"

Suddenly, Kyro woke up. Clove was still asleep with her arms around him. Kyro sighed in relief when he heard Clove's even breathing and he tightened his arms around her. One glance out the window told the Crowned Prince that dawn wasn't far away. With a heavy sigh, Kyro reluctantly woke the Princess Consort. They quickly dressed and prepared for the journey.

"Clove," Kyro started just as they were about to leave their room. “Remember, you promised to go to the physician.” Clove nodded solemnly. She’d honestly hoped Kyro would’ve forgotten, but much to her dismay, he had not. “That’s where I’m going now.” The Crimson Prince eyed her before nodding and opening the door. What Kyro didn't know was that Clove was only going for a quick check up.

"Please let me know what he or she says." Clove nodded. "I promise I will. Although I can already guarantee that nothing will be wrong." Kyro shook his head but said nothing. 'I'd rather be safe than sorry.' He thought and Red responded, much to Kyro's irritation. "I told you already, boy, it’s not what you think. Keep an eye on her, but do not worry. She is stronger than she appears.” However, Kyro was not affected by Red's words, he still worried greatly for Clove not that he wanted to admit it. 

Clove spotted a young guard at the end of the hallway and approached him. "Excuse me, can you please tell me where the physician's office is?" The young guard was more than happy to show her. As it turned out, the physician's room was in the next hallway. "Thank you so much." Clove smiled and the young guard smiled. "Anytime, Princess."

The physician was a tall, well-built, older man with dark blue hair streaked with dark grey, his right eye was bright blue, but his left eye was completely white. He wore a dark brown tunic, black pants and light brown boots. He smiled brightly at Clove when she entered. "Hello, young one. You must be Princess Clove."

"I am. It's nice to meet you…" She paused, hoping he would give her his name, he did, much to her relief. "Nevil. My wife, Shay, told me you might stop in today and my grand niece filled me in on some of your symptoms." He gestured to a chair before turning around and picking up a scroll. Clove took the hint and sat down. "Let's see here. Dizziness, throwing up, tiredness...is that about it, or have more symptoms appeared?" Clove shook her head. "That's it. I haven't noticed anything else." Nevil nodded. "Any stomach pains, mood swings, excessive hunger, or unexplainable pains?" Once again, Clove shook her head. "Okay so, it can't be that. Well, based on the long journey that you've had and the fact that you traveled through the desert, mixed with stress, I'd say there's nothing to worry about."

Nevil handed her a small bag of herbs. "Just add a few of these to your tea or drink every morning and you should be good. But, just in case more symptoms develop, all three of my grand nieces are going with you on your trip, so you can just tell one of them and they'll send a scroll." Clove gratefully took the bag of herbs and thanked the man once again. "Oh, one more thing, Princess." She turned to look at Nevil who was facing away from her. "Is it true that Grand Marshal Raizo came to the Mixture Clan?" The young woman was confused by the question, but she still answered. "Yes, it is. May I ask why?"

"Just wondering. Be safe on your journey, Princess." Clove could tell that Nevil wasn't going to give her any more of an answer, so she thanked him once more, and left.

"Well, what did the physician say?" Kyro asked when his wife joined the others in the dining room. Clove's mouth instantly started watering at the sight of the assorted fruits, pastries, biscuits, and jams. For some odd reason, she felt hungrier than usual. "He thinks it's a mixture of stress, the journey, and traveling through the desert. He gave me a bag of herbs to add to my drink in the morning." The young princess sat down next to Kyro and added a few of the herbs to the tea in front of her. "Nevil is rarely wrong. He's been a healer for so long, so, I trust his judgement." Kyro still wasn't convinced. His gut told him something else was wrong with Clove.

"They're wrong. So wrong." Red's taunting voice did nothing to calm Kyro's nerves. 'What's wrong with my princess?' Kyro thought as Lily passed the tray of pastries to her sister.

While Clove ate slowly, like everyone, she still ate more than usual, which both Kyro and Kharis noticed. "Okay, here's the plan. We'll head out towards the volcano and meet up with Aaron and the Fire Queen. Regina and Renda will be joining us for extra protection. Not to mention, Kiren insisted he would come as well." Kirra looked at her eldest son in confusion. "Who will look after the kingdom?" 

"Shay, Nevil, Verna, and Rien. It won't be the first time they've had to take control. Plus we shouldn't be gone for too long." Kharis looked at her mother. It was clear that the Mixture royals trusted these people with their lives. Of course, no one said anything, after all Kiren and Lily had been for over six years. They would know who to trust.

Once everyone was finished eating, the horses were saddled up and a beautiful young woman approached. She had dark purple hair tied up in a tight bun with a golden rose hairpin, deep violet eyes, and porcelain like skin. She wore a deep burgundy long sleeved shirt and pants with a short skirt and brown heeled boots. Red eyeshadow and lipstick made her features look sharper.

"Clove, Kyro, Kharis, Nouren, this is Renda. She's the best seamstress in the clan. Not to mention she knows a thing or two about healing herbs." Renda blushed deeply and smiled. "I wouldn't say I'm the best, but I am pretty good at my job." She patted a beautiful, light tan mare before hopping on.

The Crimson royals said their goodbyes to Kirra and Clove said her goodbyes to her uncle. Lord Arkos insisted that she stay behind but she told him otherwise. Thankfully, the small group was able to leave just as the sun was beginning to peak over the mountains. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What was the meaning behind Kyro's dream? Let me know what you think. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Until next Thursday.


	18. A Shocking Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group finds out who the Fire Queen is and they start the hard journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. I would first like say thank you to 5 guests for leaving kudos and I would like to say thank you to everyone for 1131 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Aaron shot up as the door started to open. Reina popped her head in. “Oh, good. You’re awake. The group will be here around midday. I’ll be joining them, you can head back to the clan if you want to. Or you can join us on the journey.”

“I’ll join the group.” Reina nodded and left. ‘Why can’t he just go back to the clan?’ Reina thought bitterly, but a part of her was glad he was going along. With a long sigh, the young Queen went back into her room to change out of her nightgown and into her favorite outfit. The outfit consisted of a light blue, high collared, short sleeved shirt, which showed her shoulders, dark brown pants, low heeled, light brown boots and a purple belt around her waist. She also decided on a golden bracelet with a dragon carved into it.

Reina glanced down at her right arm and smiled at her red dragon mark. It's snout rested on her wrist and it's body swirled up her arm, disappearing behind her shirt on her shoulder and it held a flame in its right claw.

With another deep breath, Reina walked out of her room and headed out of the palace. Aaron was sitting on a rock a few feet outside of the entrance and Reina's heart flipped a little. "So, do you want a tour of my hot kingdom?" Reina offered since it was only dawn. Aaron thought about her offer for a second before nodding. "Sure. I'm just not going across any lava rivers." The Fire Queen sighed sarcastically. "Fine. It's not like we're on top of a volcano or anything."

Aaron had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing, but he was unable to stop the small smile from reaching his face. "Okay, the safest place is the garden of statues." Aaron nodded and gestured for Reina to go first. "Lead the way, You're Majesty." The Fire Queen rolled her eyes and started walking.

The young lieutenant gasped when he saw the beautiful, dragon covered archway. The area beyond the archway was filled with dragon statues of all kinds and sizes. Many were of two dragons frozen in a romantic dance. "These are amazing. So detailed." Reina smiled proudly. "These were made a few years after the palace was built. Some of these statues are of Queens and their Kings." Aaron could help but notice the sad longing in her voice. "Are you alright?" Reina nods. "Yeah. I'm fine. This statue is of the third Queen, Fire Rage, and her King, Fire Starter." The purple haired woman walked towards a statue of two dragons twirling.

Aaron tried to follow, but his foot caught on a rock and he tripped. Reina chuckled as he righted himself. However, from the small bag tied to his belt, fell the blue ribbon that once served as his headband. The Fire Queen picked it up and handed it back to Aaron, who begrudgingly took it. "Why did you stop wearing it?" Reina couldn't help but ask and Aaron shrugged. "I don't know. It just doesn't feel right anymore." The young woman hummed and muttered. "I liked it. It suited you." She turned and walked over to another statue.

The horses were the first thing the group spotted, aside from the giant mountain. The next thing they noticed were Aaron and Reina who were both sitting on rocks and laughing. Both Clove and Nouren gasped when they noticed that Aaron was wearing his headband once again.

"Aaron!" Both stopped laughing immediately and looked at the small group. "Hey Lils. How's it going?" The woman in question smiled knowingly, however Nouren narrowed his eyes at his childhood friend. "Why have you decided to start wearing your headband once again?" Aaron froze and rubbed the back of his head as he looked around nervously. "I,um, uh...It took some convincing." He sounded unsure as he looked to Reina for help, she merely put her hands up.

"Hey, don't look at me. I just said it suited you." She hopped off of the rock and walked over to her horse. It was then that the outsiders of the group noticed the mark on Reina's arm, but Kyro was the first to speak. "Reina, you're the Fire Queen." It was more of a statement than a question and the young woman nodded proudly. "I am indeed." She hopped onto her horse and Aaron hopped onto his. "Are we ready, Lils?" Both Lily and Kiren looked at their shocked guests and nodded.

The group moved on and headed for the glacier. Unknown to them, a threat followed close behind. "Okay, so, Reina...how did you discover that you were the Fire Queen?" Clove asked, her voice held a little bit of fear within. "Back when Lily and I were forced to be maids for Cion, he shoved Lily down for making a mistake. I ran to her aid and fire just came out of my hands. Burnt Cion pretty good." Reina smirked proudly and Kharis shifted uncomfortably on her horse. "A few weeks later, I took her to the volcano where she accepted her reign as the Fire Queen."

"Reina was one of the main factors in us winning the Mixture Clan back" The young woman blushed at Kiren's statement. "It was a clan effort." She responded flatly and Renda giggled. "True. But it was mostly you, Kiren, and Lily." Regina nodded.

Clove looked around at the gorgeous trees and flowers. "This place is beautiful." Kyro couldn't help but nod. "Our people have done their very best to preserve this land's natural beauty." Kiren sounded proud and by every right he should be.

It was nightfall by the time the small group a third of the way across the plains. "We need to stop for the night." Lily looked around as she dismounted. "Lily and I will split from our dragons. That way we'll all be safer." The two women split from their dragons and the others collected what few sticks they could find as well as clumps of dry grass.

Reina knelt down next to the small pile and flicked her pointer finger out, a small flame appeared on the end. She lit the dry grass and blew out the flame. It didn't take long for the fire to grow bigger. "And this is the reason she keeps me around." Reina pointed to Lily who threw her head back and laughed, as did Regina, Renda, and Kiren.

Clove suddenly felt sick and bile rising in her throat. "I think I'll go for a short walk." Clove stood up and moved to walk away, but Kyro leaped up and stopped her. "I'm going with you." The young princess shook her head. "That won't be necessary, Kyro. I'll be fine."

"Yes it is. The plains are dangerous at night. Never leave the group alone." Kyro gave Clove a smug smirk and she rolled her eyes but she said nothing as she walked away trying her best not to throw up.

Once they were far enough away, Clove fell to her knees and her body expelled her stomach's contents. Kyro fell to the ground next to her and grabbed her shoulders in concern, brushing her hair back as he did. "Clove, what's wrong? I know you took those herbs." The young princess rolled her eyes before catching her breath to speak. "I don't know. Maybe it'll take a few days for the herbs to start working, but I promise you, I'm fine." It was Kyro's turn to roll his eyes. "Clove, when will you admit that something more is going on."

"I already told you, boy, it’s not what you think. Keep an eye on her, but do not worry. " Like always, Kyro ignored his dragon in favor of watching Clove. "Kyro, it's just stress, nothing more." The young prince frowned at his wife who was taking deep breaths. "I don't think it's stress and neither does Red." The Princess Consort's head shot up. "What does he think it is?" The Crowned Prince shrugged and hung his head. "He hasn't said. Just that it's not what we think. And you think it's stress." 

"Until a physician says otherwise, I'm going to keep taking the herbs. Even if I'm not sick from stress, I'm still sick from something else. With that being said, I'm sure it'll pass." Kyro nodded, but he still wasn't convinced. His gut told him it wasn't just a simple sickness. "Come on. The others will get worried if we stay away any longer."

The royal couple stood, but when they did, Clove grabbed onto Kyro's arm in a dizzy spell. "Clove this isn't good. We should head back as soon as the sun rises tomorrow and…"

"You can head back. I'm going to the Ice Kingdom." Crimson scales appeared around Kyro's eyes in anger and his voice deepened slightly. "For the last time, Clove, I am not letting you go on this mission alone." Clove took a fearful step back as she noticed the deeper second voice that underlined Kyro's. Even though she knew Kyro would never harm her, it was by pure instinct. The Crimson Prince noticed the fear in his wife's eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. 

"If I returned to the Mixture Clan without you, after I left you out here to continue this journey alone, Lord Arkos would have my head." Kyro refused to tell the truth, mostly because of his pride and ego, but Clove saw right through his little fib. "Is that really the reason? Or is that just the excuse you're going with?" Kyro glanced over at his wife in shock and awe. It would appear that nothing got past her. "Besides, I won't be alone. I have my sister and your siblings and…" Kyro placed his hands on her shoulders, his eyes turning cold. "The only one I trust is Kharis." Clove's brow furrowed.

"Do you not trust your brother?" Her husband sighed and turned his back to her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does Kyro trust his brother? Let me know what you think. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	19. The Hint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyro and Clove have a conversation and Red tries to give Kyro some hints on Clove's illness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. Thank you to two guests for leaving kudos and thank you all for 1205 hits. I hope you all enjoy.

"I want to say I trust my brother but...for so long I believed him to be dead and now he's alive and…" Kyro roughly ran a hand through his hair and Clove stepped forward to wrap her arms around him. His response was immediate. He whipped around and pulled her close, holding her tight. It was a hint that he was beyond worried about her. 

"I'm not leaving. Not while you're sick, and even though Kharis is here...I'd much rather two dragons that are on your side be here." Clove nodded and leaned into him more.

Kyro internally celebrated. Even though he would never admit it, Kyro was secretly grateful that Clove actually enjoyed his company. They both lost track of how long they held each other. It wasn't until the faintly heard their names being called from the campsite.

"We should head back before they send the army." Kyro chuckled at Clove's joke as the two made their way back over to the group. Renda and Kharis were already fast asleep, Regina, Nouren, and Aaron looked like they were fighting sleep.

Kiren was the first one to notice the royal couple. "What took you two so long?" Kyro and Clove looked at each other. "Clove got sick again." Lily's head shot up and she looked at her sister in worry. "Are you alright now?" The younger woman nodded. "Yeah. I feel fine now." In truth she was feeling fine. All dizziness and nausea had disappeared, however an unprovoked annoyment was slowly rising within Clove. She had no idea where this annoyment was coming from, but she pressed it down nonetheless.

"That's good. That means the herbs are working. You might have a few more days of sickness, but you'll start feeling much better." Clove smiled and nodded at Reina's words. "No they're not. She'll only start feeling worse. The herbs are doing nothing." Kyro tensed at Red's words. "The herbs aren't working." Everyone turned to look at him, well, everyone who was akake, which no longer included Nouren. "What do you mean?"

"Red just said, the herbs are doing nothing and that Clove will only feel worse." The woman in question looked to the others in slight fear. "Does Red Flame know what's wrong with her?" The man in question shrugged his shoulders. "If he does, he hasn't said." Kiren nodded. "Try to enter the other realm tonight, then ask Red Flame what's wrong with Clove." Kyro nodded as Reina turned to her best friend. "Lily, could it be that her body's just getting over losing Volcanic Glacier? Or that her body is preparing to get her ice powers."

Lily shrugged. "Perhaps, but I'm not sure. It could be completely unrelated, but for now, let's assume nothing." The others nodded in agreement. "Now, let's get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. With any luck, we'll be at the base of Glacier Mountain by nightfall." Once again, those who were still awake, nodded.

Reina, much to the horror of the outsiders, stood up and stepped into the fire before laying down. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. Sleeping in fire makes her feel safer. Her powers will also keep the fire burning all night." Lily said as she laid down next to Kiren. Aaron looked over at the fire, Reina's sleeping form was barely visible in the crackling flames. He has so many questions, but he would wait until morning to ask, for now, he would just lay down and get some rest.

When Clove laid down, Kyro didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her. He insisted that Clove sleep near the fire and he sleep between her and the plains. That way it would be harder for a threat to get to her. Clove wanted to argue that he didn't have to, but she decided it was best not to. Glaring over, she noticed that Kiren had done the same thing to Lily. 

"Clove, promise me something." Kyro muttered sleepily and Clove hummed for him to continue. "Promise me that...no matter what happens, no matter what we find, when...if danger comes, you'll run back to the Mixture Clan." Clove shook her head. "I wish I could, Kyro. But I can't promise you that. If danger comes, you know I'll stay to help you fight." The young prince grumbled in disappointment, but he was much too tired to argue about it tonight. He'd wait until morning to try and convince Clove to make the promise. But for now, they both would get some much needed rest.

When Kyro opened his eyes, he was in the dragon's realm. He stood up and jumped as a booming laughter rang out. Spinning around, the Crowned Prince saw Red, the dragon's head was back and he laughed loudly. A sound and scene had Kyro never seen before. "Red! I have to talk to you." Red Flame instantly stopped laughing and looked at his vessel. The Crimson Dragon looked more relaxed than ever before. "Go play you two." Red turned and called out to someone out of Kyro's sight, before turning back to his vessel. "What is there to talk about, boy?"

"Clove. What's wrong with Clove?" Red barely finished his sentence when Kyro asked his question. "Well, that depends. First off, she has yet to claim her dragon…" A frustrated growl escaped Kyro's lips. "I meant her illness. What illness does she have? What caused it and how do we cure it?" Red let out a humorous laugh. "Trust me. You don't want to get rid of the cause of her sickness."

"Yes, I do. I don't want her to be sick." However, Red Flame ignored his vessel. "And, with how to cure it, she'll just have to wait it out. That's the best way, but if you and Clove are so eager to get rid of her sickness, then…"

"Red Flame! Don't give him any ideas. I've been waiting for this for years." Kyro spun around and gasped at the pure white dragon standing behind him. It was the same white dragon that Kyro dreamed about the night before. "I highly ask that you and Clove do nothing about her illness. Please, I beg of you." Her bright blue eyes were the same shade as Clove's and Kyro found himself powerless to deny her plea.

"Sorry dear. I'm just trying to drop hints." Red Flame lowered his head and smiled fearfully at the white dragon. "Well, don't drop a hint that could potentially ruin everything. Kyro, as much as I would love to explain everything to you, now is not the time. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to have a talk with your dragon." Before Kyro could respond, Red ended the session and the young prince woke to the first rays of the dawn just barely peeking over the horizon. He suddenly felt a jolt of fear for his dragon. Red Flame was in deep trouble now.

The fire instantly went out and Reina sat up, followed by her two sisters, Kiren, and Lily. The others were just waking up. "So, Kyro, did you visit the dragon's realm last night?" The Mixture Queen looked both hopeful and fearful at the same time.

"I did and there was also a white dragon. Red was about to tell me how to get rid of Clove's sickness, but she stopped him before he could tell me." Lily hummed in reply. "Well, Snowflake always has a reason for what she says and does. If she doesn't want Clove to treat her illness, then Clove, don't treat your illness." The younger woman nodded quickly.

"Alright, let's get going. We have a long journey ahead of us." Ember and Water Drop rejoined their vessels and the small group went on. Aaron rode up next to Reina. "Reina, mind if I asked you a question?" The purple haired woman shook her head. "Not at all." The lieutenant took a deep breath in before continuing. "How does...how are you not burned by fire? I know it's a part of your powers, but…" Reina's laugh cut Aaron off. "Don't worry. I get that question a lot. But, I have no answer. Fire doesn't even feel hot to me, neither does lava. Holding fire feels like...almost a tingling sensation and lava feels like water." Aaron nodded but, he was still confused.

The group chatted about anything and everything. After an hour of walking, the group stopped for breakfast. This time however, Clove did not place the herbs in her water, even though she still felt dizzy and was hungrier than usual, she decided not to take them. Kyro watched Clove closely, she didn't eat any more than the others, but she ate slightly faster than normal.

The group started moving once more after breakfast. Kyro kept his horse as close to Zephyr as he could. Clove couldn't help but give a small smile at his concern for her, not that he'd ever admit it. Tears appeared at the corners of her eyes and Clove subtly wiped them away. 'Why am I crying over this?' The young princess thought to herself as she glanced over at her husband.

Kyro was observing their surroundings while trying to be subtle about it, but failing miserably. He always eyed the passing dragons suspiciously, while Kharis, Aaron, and Nouren eyed them with awe. Clove especially loved seeing the red and blue swirled dragons that were flying or walking around. "This place really is dedicated to peace. Isn't it?" The Mixtures all nodded. "It's been that way for a little over three hundred years. The peace has only ever been disturbed twice and both were because of bad leaders."

Kharis held up her hand to brush some light purple flowers that were dangling from several trees. Nouren reached up and picked a couple before handing them to the Crimson Princess, who blushed. Thankfully, Kyro didn't notice, but Kiren did and he smiled. He was happy to see his sister finding love, and Kiren knew several former Cerulean soldiers who said Captain Nouren was a trustworthy man. That mixed with the good things Reina has said about him, Kiren believed this man was good for Kharis, but Kyro would definitely say otherwise.

'It seems like all three Crimson royal siblings will fall for a Cerulean.' Kiren thought in amusement as he gazed lovingly at his wife, who was chatting with the three sisters. Reina was warning them about Raizo’s potential plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you all think. I hope you all enjoyed.


	20. A Tale of Relics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mixtures tell their outsider guests about some of the Relics and what they were supposedly used for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. I would once again like to thank LoisLaneKent for commenting and a big thank you goes out to everyone for 1286 hits. That last episode of Subzero was wow, I really hop Fei lives, but I doubt she will. Okay, I have a theory that Reina, isn't actually related to Raizo, I'm not sure if that's going to be true or not. But, anyways I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

“Many years ago, Raizo was talking to a cloaked figure about finding a sword of old that was supposed to hold magical powers. But I couldn’t get a good look at the person, all I know is that they were shorter than he is.” Lily frowned at Reina’s information. "That sounds like the Relic of Death. A touch of the relic's blade will kill anyone." Clove's head shot up. "Why would the Element Dragons make something like that?" The group turned to the Mixture Queen who sighed in embarrassment. "It was made by Ember and Water Drop. After their people were slaughtered. They hoped to use it against Fire Ice, but Snowflake convinced them that there was no way he wouldn't be taken out. The sword was not needed, but, we don't know what happened to it." Kyro narrowed his eyes. "How many relics were made?"

Reina looked to Lily, silently hoping she knew, but the older woman shrugged. "No one knows. Many were made and many were destroyed, but no one knows the exact number of either. We do have a list of relics, but we're not sure all of them were ever real." Kharis spoke up to ask her question. "Which relics were on the list?"

"First is the Relic of Death, it's a silver sword with a skull on the hilt. The Relic of Life, which is a ruby pendant in the shape of a heart on a golden chain. The Relic of Time, which is said to be a golden sundial. The Relic of Power, which is a crystal ball. You get the idea." They all nodded. 

"Now, for what they do. The Relic of Time can speed up, slow down, or reverse time. The Relic of Death can kill anyone. The Relic of Life can bring one person back from the dead. But the most dangerous of all is the Relic of Power. It's said that whoever possesses it will have unlimited powers of youth, immortality, healing, and destruction. Rumors from the past even suggest that the wielder would be able to raise the dead. That's the one I think our mother got her hands on." Aaron shook his head in confusion. "Why do you say that like it's a bad thing? Queen Lorelei isn't one to take advantage of anything."

"There's always a price to pay for using unnatural powers. For the Relic of Power, you have to give up your heart, soul, and/or mind. If she used this, she would slowly lose herself." Clove looked down but couldn't figure out when her mother changed. Of course there were times when Lorelei would get upset over the smallest things, but Clove didn't think that was anything to be worried about at the time, mostly because of how bad the war was getting. “The only relic that doesn’t have a price for the user is the Relic of Life, however it only works on a person who has been murdered. And the price is it takes the life of the person who killed them.” Kyro nodded, obviously pleased. “That seems fair.” The others agreed. 

"But, why would mom risk losing herself by using some powerful relic?" Lily looked at her sister in sadness. "She was growing desperate to win the war and wipe out the Crimsons. She was probably willing to try anything, even risk losing her soul." There was something that Lily wasn't telling them. Something Kiren thought they should know. "Lily, maybe you should tell them about the 'prophecy' you heard your mother talking about."

The small group turned to look at the Mixture Queen who sighed in defeat. "A few weeks after Kharis was born...I saw Lorelei talking to a cloaked figure in the middle of the night. She said the prophecy can never come to be. Then she said she'd take out the threat on her end if they'd take out the threat on their end. At the time I had no idea who she was talking about." Kyro and Clove looked to each other in worry. "However, a couple weeks ago, one of our undercover agents in the Jade Clan was able to steal a prophecy that Lorelei had written down, all those years ago."

Nouren nearly jumped at her statement. "What did it say?" Lily looked to Kiren who rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "In nineteen years, exactly. The war will settle, once and for all. The time to act will be in front. Use up the power, the crystal gives. Then the once mighty Crimson will finally fall and you, the Desperate Queen, will rule all." Kyro's brow furrowed in confusion. "But apparently there was a word of caution. Should your daughter fight, you will fail."

"So, is the prophecy talking about one of Lorelei's daughter's or someone else's? And if it's talking about Lorelei's, then which one? Lily or Clove?" Kiren nodded his head in the direction of the Cerulean sisters. "The second half of the prophecy hints towards either Lily or Clove." This time, it was Reina who spoke up. "After three hundred years of war, your daughter of blue will marry the Prince of red and from that marriage, permanent peace will be born."

Kharis looked to her brothers. "So, the prophecy is about Kyro and I." Clove sounded frightened and unsure, but much to her surprise, Reina shook her head. "It is now, but at the time it was revealed, it could've been about either of you. And the first part could still be about either of you." The people of the small group nodded, but it was Kiren who spoke up. "That's true. Lily and I did talk about ending the war with a marriage between us. At least, up until...we left."

Kiren looked ashamed as he spoke, but Kharis placed her hand on his shoulder to both reassure and remind him that they understood.

Regina looked up at the sky and noticed the sun was going down. "We better start setting up camp." Lily shook her head. "We have about a mile left to go until we reach the base of Glacier Mountain. We can make it." Regina nodded and urged her horse on.

Glacier Mountain was about as tall as Volcano Mountain, however the glaciers couldn't yet be seen. "We'll have to travel through heavy snow and rough terrains. So, let's be glad we all packed warm clothes." Aaron, Reina, Kiren, and Kharis chuckled at Regina's dry humor. "I'm definitely grateful for that." Kyro smirked and leaned in to whisper in Clove's ear. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll be here if you get cold." Clove rolled her eyes and playfully elbowed Kyro in the stomach before walking away to help the others.

Once again, Reina lit the fire and she and Lily split from their dragons. However, this time, Kiren, Regina, and Renda also split from their dragons as well. Kiren also showed his brother and sister how to split from their dragons. It was weird for Kyro and Kharis to see their dragons outside of the other realm. Red Flame lingered near Clove. 

The group discussed the plans for tomorrow before eating and getting some rest. Once again, Kyro insisted on sleeping between Clove and the plains. The woman in question rolled her eyes but said nothing. Reina reached forward to place her hand in fire and brought a small flame out. She then tossed the flame from hand to hand.

Kyro turned away from the bizarre sight and looked at his wife. She looked exhausted as she absentmindedly chewed on a piece of fruit. “Clove, are you alright?” She glanced at him before shaking her head. “I honestly don’t know. I just feel...weird, but...I can’t describe it.” Kyro wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. She didn’t hesitate to rest her head on his shoulder. "I'm frightened, Kyro." Clove's voice was barely audible and Kyro nodded. "Me too, Clove. Me too."

Red observed his vessel and his mate's vessel with happiness and sadness. He longed to tell them the truth, but Snowflake believed that if they knew, they would put off the journey. And that was not an option, not now. The Jade Clan's Queen and the Viper Clan's leader were getting smarter and more desperate. All three clans needed all three Elements Queen. Time was running out.

Reina slept in the fire again, much to Nouren and Kyro's discomfort, they were still not used to seeing someone burning without screaming in pain. It honestly didn't take any of them long to fall asleep. Even the dragons were out like lights. Unknowing to everyone, an unseen threat watched them from a nearby tree. The threat wanted to strike now, but the dragons would make it impossible. But, the threat would wait for the right time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you think the threat is? Who is the prophecy about? Let me know what you think. Also, fair warning, the next chapter is going to be a tearjerker, so if you don't like violence or death, you may want to skip reading this next week. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	21. Kyro's Worst Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyro wakes up to a horrific sight as his worst fear comes true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENCE AND DEATH! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! a SUMMED UP VERSION OF THE CHAPTER WILL BE IN THE NOTES AT THE BOTTOM!  
> Hello everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. I would like to say thank you to a guest for leaving Kudos and thank you to everyone for 1369 hits. Okay, so I have a theory that the leader of the Jade Vipers is Clove's uncle. Just hear me out, maybe he found out that Clove isn't really the daughter of his brother and now he wants revenge. What do you think? I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Fire. That’s what Kyro saw when he woke up. Everything was on fire. The plains, the trees, but what wasn't on fire, were the dragons and people that had accompanied him across the Mixture Clan’s plains. They were just gone. 'How the hell did I sleep through this?" Kyro stood and ran to find the people he had been traveling with, mainly, Kharis and Clove. Heavy smoke rose up from the direction of the town and Kyro's thoughts drifted to his mother, nieces, and nephew. But, for now, Kyro needed to find his traveling companions. The heat was nearly unbearable, however the young prince kept going. He needed to find them.

A flash of white caught his attention, but it disappeared before Kyro could see what it was. However, a deep, low growl caught his attention next. Snowflake and Red Flame were sitting on a small hill, with their backs to Kyro, looking down mournfully. Snowflake nuzzled Red Flame's jaw before flying off. Tears were streaming down her snout.

The young prince walked over to his dragon, but kept his distance. Red turned his head slightly towards his vessel. "You did this. This is all your fault. You didn't save them. YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO SAVE THEM!" Red turned his head more towards the young prince, so Kyro could see the tears that flowed freely down his dragon’s snout. "Red, what happened? Why didn't… Save who?" Red stood up and roared at Kyro who flinched and raised his fists. "YOU COULD'VE SAVED THEM, BUT YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY!" The dragon's voice broke and became barely audible. Kyro took a step forward. "Red, who's them?" But the Crimson Dragon refused to give names. "You were weak. You were careless. I thought you cared about her. YOU SAID YOU CARED ABOUT HER!" 

"Red…" Kyro started, but Red Flame refused to let him speak. "You couldn't save your brother and you couldn't save her." That struck a nerve with Kyro and the young prince sighed in defeat. Red was right.

“They’re both dead now. You ruined everything and all of the clans will pay for your foolishness. All three Element Queens were needed and now, one is gone. The Jade Vipers have won." Red Flame shook his head in sorrow. 

"You said you'd protect her, that she wouldn't be alone. You lied to her." The blood drained from Kyro's face as he realized exactly who Red Flame was talking about. "Clove…" The young prince's voice was barely audible. "Red, where is she?" Red looked down the hill at something below, but said nothing.

Kyro cautiously walked forward to see what Red was looking at. The scene before him was one straight out of his nightmares.

Princess Clove, the Princess Consort to the Crimson and Cerulean Clans and the future empress of those same clans, lay crushed under a large, column-shaped boulder. She was on her stomach and the boulder went horizontally across her back. Her left hand was close to her face, and her right arm was above her head. She was paler than usual, her eyes were closed, and Kyro thought he could see blood leaking out of the corner of her mouth.

"CLOVE!" Prince Kyro wasted no time, he ran as fast as he could to reach his wife. Hoping and praying that she was still alive. "Clove?" When the Crimson Prince fell to his knees beside her, he was suddenly struck with the memory of the night of the assassination attempt, when Clove lay motionless on the cold, stone ground. The fear he felt then, was nothing compared to the fear he felt now.

Kyro took her right hand in his and was horrified to find out there was indeed, blood leaking out of the corner of her mouth. He then slid his hand down to her wrist, there was no pulse beneath his fingers. "Clove...Clove please wake up. Open your eyes...please...for me." When she didn't move, Kyro jumped up and pushed on the boulder before calling out to his dragon.

"Red...Red, help me get this off of her...please!" Red Flame shook his head, even though his vessel wasn't looking at him. "It's too late, boy." The man in question shook his head violently as he pushed harder on the unmoving boulder. "No! It's not too late! IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!" Red Flame marched over to his stubborn vessel and shoved the boulder off of his mate's vessel. His own vessel wasted no time in kneeling next to her.

He was afraid to reach out and touch her. ‘What if Red Flame’s wrong? What if she’s still alive? If she is still alive, moving her could, in fact, kill her.' Kyro eyed her shoulders worriedly, hoping and praying to see them rise and fall with each breath. But, she didn't move.

With gentle hands, Kyro reached out to gently turn Clove over. He was horrified at what he found. It was obvious she had been in a fight, her dress was torn and bloodied, her hair a mess, and her exposed skin was covered in cuts and bruises. The Crimson Prince placed one hand under her head and the other under her upper back and gently lifted her to him.

Her limp body felt broken under his hand and she was burning up. Her lips parted ever so slightly, but it was obvious that she was gone. His pride and ego were the last things on his mind as tears welled up in his eyes.

"It wouldn't have been too late if you had just been there to PROTECT her like you PROMISED! But, now Clove is dead because of YOU!" The young prince shook his head. 

"You've killed your own wife!" Kyro froze and looked down at his wife. Suddenly the words Reina once spoke, even though she didn't mean them at the time, zipped through his mind.

"Just kill her." She had said that to test him and now he had finally failed that test. It was his fault, he was unable to protect Clove. "It's what you've always done best and now, hehe, she's right under your nose."

A single tear slipped down Kyro's cheek as he pulled Clove closer, her head now rested on his shoulder. She was so light, it was as if she weighed nothing. Kyro pressed his face to her messy hair, he could smell the ash and blood, along with a sweet, floral scent that was just Clove.

“No! I wouldn't...I couldn't...I would never hurt her!” He pleaded, trying to get the guilt out of his head, but it was useless. Red kept putting the blame on the young prince. "Well you did. This is all your fault. They are dead, because of you." Kyro was barely listening to his dragon, but what he said confused the young man. "Who else is dead?" Red looked down, but said nothing. Kyro turned around to look at his dragon, who refused to meet his vessel's eyes. "RED FLAME! Who else is dead?" Amber eyes met amber eyes. "Now, you'll never be able to hold her."

Kyro turned away and tightened his grip on Clove. A single tear fell down his cheek and hit Clove's hairline before sliding down the side of her face. "You killed her. You murdered her. You kill everything you touch. Death follows you wherever you go." Red's words kept coming, placing the blame fully on his vessel. "Lily waited twenty-one years to meet her sister, and you just ripped that from her." Red Flame flew away as the fire around Kyro roared and grew higher and closer, but the young prince didn’t care.

He bowed his head to place a light kiss on her forehead. Suddenly, Clove jerked, coughed and shuddered as more blood leaked from her mouth. "Clove? Clove! You're alright. You're going to be just fine. I promise." Kyro pulled back a little but he refused to let go. The young princess looked at him with a mixture of relief and hatred. She coughed once again before speaking, her voice was soft and raspy. "You came. You finally came." Her unspoken accusation caused Kyro's heart to clenched. More tears fell out of his eyes. "I'm going to get you to safety. I promise, Clove. You're going to live."

Kyro carefully stood, gently picking the young woman up but Clove weakly pushed at his chest. "No. Save her instead. She has to live." Kyro looked around but saw no one else, so he assumed Clove was talking about Snowflake. "Clove, love, Snowflake is fine. I saw her flying off. She's safe, I promise." The woman in his arms shook her head almost violently as tears streamed down her face. "No. Not her. Not Snowflake."

Clove cried out in pain and Kyro flinched before sitting down with her. He held her just like he did on the night of the assassination attempt. The young princess grabbed Kyro's shirt in a frighteningly weak grasp. "Kyro, why didn't you protect us? You didn't even try to protect us. You failed to…" Clove went limp in his arms. "Clove! Clove!" Kyro pressed his finger tips to her neck but he felt no pulse. "Clove, please don't do this. Please, Clove!" Tears flowed down his face like a river. Less than four months ago, the Cerulean Princess changed his life forever and now she was gone forever. "Clove, please."

Kyro heard footsteps behind him. He turned around in time to see a cloaked figure walking away. The young prince gently set the young princess down and stood up to face the person. "YOU DID THIS!" The person turned around and removed their hood. It was Kiren. He looked down at the unmoving princess before looking back up at his brother.

"No, Kyro. Their blood is on your hands."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summed up version:  
> Kyro wakes up the Mixture Clans plains on fire, he spots Red Flame and finds Clove gravely injured. Red Flame puts the blame on Kyro and when Clove wakes up, she also puts the blame on him before dying.  
> I know, I know, I'm evil. Let me know what you think and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	22. A Discussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. I may not be able to update Thursday so, here's an early update. Thank you to two guests for leaving kudos and another thank you to Snowgriff for commenting. A big thank you goes out to everyone for 1418 hits. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, that last episode of Subzero was...wow. I can't believe Raizo actually cares about someone.

Kyro shot up with a cry on his lips. Sweat poured down his face and his heart pounded within his chest. The young prince looked around and took a head count. Kiren and Lily were holding each other tightly. Regina was clutching her staff, Renda was completely relaxed, Nouren and Kharis were a couple of feet away from each other, but they were still holding hands. Aaron was sleeping close to the fire and Kyro could barely see Reina, since she was in the flames. The dragons were as fast asleep as their vessels. All were accounted for, all but one. Clove was no longer next to him as she had been when they first fell asleep. Another look around told Kyro that Red also wasn't in sight.

Amber eyes searched the surrounding area and spotted a narrow canyon in the side of the mountain. Something flicked up and down in the entrance. When Kyro stood up and squinted, he recognized it as Red's tail. Kyro all but ran to the entrance of the canyon.

Clove was on her knees heaving, Red was laying in the grass next to her. "There, there. You'll be alright." The young princess sat up and nodded. "Red, what's really going on with me? What's the cause of my illness? I know you know." Red sighed and hung his head. "I do. But Snowflake thought you and Kyro having the knowledge would endanger the journey. Maybe even cause it not to happen and we can't risk that. You need your true powers more than ever now. Especially with your illness."

It was Clove's turn to hang her head. "I want to tell you, Clove. I really do, but at the same time, I also want to keep Snowflake happy." Clove chuckled as she moved off of her knees to sit flat. "Let me guess, mad wife, bad life." Red threw his paw over his snout to keep from laughing. "More like, mad mate, bad...yeah, mad wife, bad life. That's something Kyro needs to learn." Clove chuckled and shook her head. "No he doesn't. I'm not going to snap his head off if he makes me angry. "

Red Flame sighed before responding. "Any man who marries a woman needs to learn that lesson." Clove gave a small smile before frowning slightly. "But, Clove...I will tell you that the cause of your illness, will change your life?" The young woman lowered her eyes as she tried to find the answer in his words. "For better or for worse?" Red shrugged. "That's up to you and Kyro." Clove nodded

Kyro could wait no longer. He stepped forward, making his presence known to both the woman and the dragon. "Kyro…" The Crimson Prince didn't give her a chance to finish. He knelt down and wrapped his arms around Clove, surprising her greatly. "I...Kyro?" He inhaled deeply, grateful that all he could smell was the floral scent that was just, so...Clove. He pulled back and studied her face, the memory of it bloodied and pale was still fresh in his mind and the feeling of her broken body in his arms still shook him to the core.

Kyro gently placed his hand on the back of her neck and pressed their foreheads together. "Clove...I...I promise you...No. I swear to you, that I will protect you no matter what." Suddenly, something Red Flame, Kiren, and Clove had said in his dream came rushing back to the young prince.

'I'll protect both of you...whoever this other person is.' Kyro added in his mind. "Kyro...what?" But he didn't let her finish. "Clove, I swear...so long as I'm alive no harm shall ever come to you." The young princess shook her head. "Kyro, what's wrong? What happened…?" Clove's words caught in her throat as she felt Kyro's lips press against her forehead. "I swear. I swear. I swear." Even Red Flame was confused as his vessel repeated those two words.

'What had Snowflake shown him?' Red Flame wondered as he tapped into the connection he shared with the Ice Dragon. 'I showed him nothing. The nightmare he just had is the reason why he's swearing to protect her.' Red hummed at her response before looking back down at the royal couple. "Red, could you give us a moment, alone?" The Crimson Dragon nodded at his vessel's request and walked to the entrance of the canyon. He laid down with his back to them, blocking the entrance.

Kyro pulled back slightly, but kept his arms tightly wrapped around the princess. He studied her face and ran his hands up and down her back, arms, and hands. He needed to reassure himself that she was both alive and alright. Clove pulled one hand away and placed it on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "Kyro, what's wrong, love?" Kyro's breath caught in his throat at her words. They didn't often use typically affectionate words, like love or hon, but when they did, it was when they were worried about each other.

But, unfortunately for Clove, Kyro didn't answer. But, he did however, grip Clove's upper arms and pulled her closer to press his lips to hers. She gasped and froze for a second, before she relaxed and wrapped her arms around him. Eventually, both pulled away gasping for air. They gazed into each other's eyes, Clove was searching for any sign of fear in his eyes, while Kyro was just looking at the life in hers.

He quickly moved one hand under her legs and the other behind her back and lifted her up before she could protest. Even though Clove knew he would never drop her, she still clung to him. He kissed her again. When he pulled back, he walked past Red and back to the fire. Kyro gently set her down and kissed her forehead once more, before laying down next to her. "Clove, promise me something."

The young princess nodded and waited for him to continue. "Promise me, that you stick close to me and that you won't put yourself in any danger." Clove shook her head. "I can't promise either of those. We have no idea what I'll have to do in order to get my powers." Kyro shook his head in frustration. "Clove...I need you to promise me this." Once again she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Kyro. I can't. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Princess. I just wish you would promise me." Clove felt her eyelids growing heavy. "I wish I could too." They both fell asleep quickly.

The threat watched the scene with a burning hatred. The plan counted on either Kyro or Clove turning against the other. It would be better if Kyro turned against Clove mostly because he's stronger, more violent, and he wouldn't hesitate to attack first. That was another good thing, Clove was, in no way, a match for Kyro. She would, without a doubt, lose in a fight. But, by the look of things, Kyro wouldn't attack Clove anytime soon. It would ruin the plan to no end.

The sun appeared sooner than anyone would have liked, but they all woke up nonetheless and prepared for the day. "Okay…" Lily started and Kharis could tell that she had bad news. "I didn't want to tell any of you this last night, but...this is where the trail stops for all but Clove." Kyro, Aaron, Nouren, Kharis, and Clove didn't try to hide their surprise. "We're sorry, but from here on, Clove has to do this on her own" Kharis beat her brother to protesting. "But you said you would lead us to the Ice Kingdom."

Reina stepped forward with her hands out and her palms up. "We did, but a potential Element Queen has to prove herself by following her instincts to find her Kingdom." It was Kyro's turn to step forward. "Then, how about I follow her and…" Lily interrupted him. "Some of the paths might seem dangerous and anyone who follows might try to convince her not to take the dangerous looking paths, despite her instincts telling her otherwise."

"I won't. I swear." Regina rolled her eyes and Kiren voiced his opinion. "At one point or another, Clove will have to finish the journey on her own. Without help. Besides, even though you swear not to go against her instinct, with what Lily and Reina told me about their paths...you will try to convince her not to take certain paths." Kyro and Aaron didn't hesitate to try and talk then out of sending Clove on her own, even Nouren and Kharis joined in. The woman in question called her sister over.

"Please distract them. I'm going...alone." Lily nodded and picked a large sack before handing it to her sister. Clove took it with a grateful smile and Lily pulled the younger woman in for a tight hug. 

"Be careful, Clove." The woman in question nodded. "I will. Thank you, Lily." The young Queen nodded and headed over to where the group was arguing. She turned their attention away from the mountain. Thankfully for Clove, the mountain wasn't steep in any way, but it did have a lot of huge boulders that helped to block her from being seen.

"I just think it's too dangerous for Clove to go alone." Kyro said in frustration and the two Cerulean soldiers agreed. "Well, guess what, no matter who follows her, when she reaches the end of the maze, then she'll have to go alone anyways." Reina said in a matter-of-factly tone. "Yes, but up until then, someone can protect her."

This time, Lily stepped forward. "Maybe we should let Clove decide. After all it is HER destiny. Besides, Snowflake will alert her to any danger." Kyro scoffed. "Oh yeah, and how will she do that?" Reina rolled her eyes. "Who knows. It's different for every Element Queen. For me it's a fire that only I can see." Lily nodded. "For me it's a floating ball of water that only I can see. For Clove it could be a snowflake, an ice spike, or it could get extremely cold."

Renda rolled her eyes at the arguing and looked around before nodding something was missing. Actually, not something, but someone. "I'm, guys...where's Clove?" The small group looked around, all but Lily. "She asked me to distract you so she could continue on alone."

"WHAT!?" Those who were close to the missing woman all reacted differently, yet the same. "I'm sorry, but like I said before, it's HER destiny. She should be the one who decides how she discovers it." Kyro ran a hand through his hair and turned towards the mountain, hoping to spot his wife. All he saw were large boulders and the entrance to a small cave. She couldn't have gone far, but who knows if she'd enter the cave or not. Kyro looked up at Red Flame who refused to look at his vessel, instead the Crimson Dragon kept his focus on the largest boulder.

"You know how to get to the Ice Kingdom...don't you, Red?" The dragon in question looked at his vessel with a sarcastic expression. "The love of my life used to be the Queen of the Ice Kingdom, so, no. I've never been there, not once." Kyro narrowed his eyes at his dragon, but said nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you think the threat is? Let me know what you all think. Also, if I am able to update Thursday then I will, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.


	23. The Ice Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Princess Clove travels to the Ice Palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back. Back again. Say I'm back. Tell a friend. Hello everyone, fate couldn't have been more on my side today. Time for shout outs. Thank you to Snowgriff and Evie for commenting. Another thank you goes out to two guest and Helele for leaving kudos. Another thank you goes out to Helele for bookmarking this story. Thank you to everyone for 1552 hits.  
> A huge shout out to Odakjssjsgs on Wattpad. I highly recommend that you check their stories. I would also like to thank them. When I read that your song fanfiction was inspired by mine, I literally started crying.   
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Clove first wanted to enter the cave, however her gut told her to duck behind the largest boulder. To her surprise, she discovered a narrow pathway, hidden from the others. After taking a deep breath, she followed the path until the dirt turned into snow and the temperature dropped substantially. Shivering, the young woman opened the sack Lily had given her. Inside were several heaving articles of clothing. Clove pulled out a thick, sky blue cloak and water blue gloves. She put those on before she reached back in and pulled out a lavender scarf. Her gut pulled her over to a wall of solid ice with two paths slicing through. One path looked safe, the ice on each side was smooth, but the other looked like it could be covered by fallen blocks of ice at any moment.

Yet, the young princess' gut told her to take the second path, not to mention, there was a single spike of ice standing in front of the first. Clove's memory suddenly went back to the day she lost her mother. She had spotted a single spike of ice right before they entered the forest. And the night of the assassination attempt. Clove spotted a spike of ice within the bushes right before she was led into the ancient part of the palace. As well as on the wall of the prison the day of the attack. The ice spikes meant danger, that was the main reason Clove chose the second path.

"Come on. Focus." She muttered to herself as she came to three paths, all of which looked perfectly safe. However, two of them were blocked by spikes of ice. After about an hour of walking, Clove came to a dead end, but her gut told her to keep going forward. Clove thought back to when she saw the spikes of ice before realizing that she never saw them when Kyro was around. Not even when he had threatened her the day they first met. Kyro was never a true threat to her, he never meant her any harm.

She walked toward until she stood only inches from the wall of ice. A blurry white shape could be seen moving inside the ice. "Snowflake." The young woman muttered and placed her hand on the ice, well she tried to. The second her warm hand touched the cold wall, part of it disappeared in a cloud of blue sparkles to reveal a pathway. The young princess looked around before entering, the entrance froze over as soon as Clove was several feet away.

With a cry of surprise, Clove ran back and pushed against the ice, nothing happened. "Great. I'm trapped and no one knows where I am." She sighed in defeat. "I should've listened to you, Kyro. I should've had someone follow me." She felt like a failure, a weakling, a fool. "Oh, don't give up yet. Hope is not yet lost." Clove spun around at the sound of a soft, calm voice echoing off the walls. A light blue light seemed to radiate out of the ice at the end of the tunnel, it called to the young woman.

Clove was almost in a trance as she moved along the tunnel. Her mind screamed at her to stop, but her feet moved against her will. Like the entrance, the wall, at the end of the tunnel disappeared in a cloud of blue sparkles to reveal a huge chamber. A dim white light shone down in the middle of the chamber, even though there was no hole in the ceiling and no natural form of light source. The light seemed to call to Clove and once again, the woman found herself moving against her will.

She could practically hear Kyro's voice yelling at her to stop, but she couldn't, even if she wanted to. Reaching out, the ice around her started buzzing. The second her fingertips touched the light, it bursted out and turned into thousands of glittering snowflakes. The snowflakes gently floated down followed by hundreds more. Clove caught one of the flakes in her palm and noticed images flickering on the delicate crystal. It showed an Ice Dragon making a statue with his icy breath.

The falling snow started circling around her and a pure white dragon emerged from the wall of swirling snowflakes. "Welcome home, my vessel." The dragon said gently before jumping into Clove. The snow around the young woman swirled faster and came closer with each passing second, until they were all Clove could see. The buzzing of her dragon came back, along with the tingling of her dragon's mark.

Her skin tingled as she felt her sleeves disappearing along with the scarf, hat, gloves, and cloak. She could also feel her hair moving and her clothes growing thinner, but she didn't feel the cold, for some reason, it no longer bothered her. Clove shut her eyes tightly because the moving snowflakes were starting to drive her crazy, but suddenly, the strong wind from the swirling, delicate crystals vanished and was replaced by a gently freezing cold breeze and a bright light that Clove could see behind her eyelids.

The young woman opened her eyes and gasped. The palace before her was made out of solid ice and looked like a cross between the Crimson and Cerulean palace. Perfectly sculpted ice dragons lined the rooftop and snowdrops littered the frozen ground surrounding the ice structure. A movement off to the right caught Clove's attention.

A beautiful and majestic female falcon was perched on a small snow covered rock. Clove's mind instantly turned to Raizo, but this falcon was different. Her eyes were softer and she had a string of white snowflakes around her neck. "You're my familiar, aren't you?" Clove remembered what Lily told her about familiars. Since the Element Dragons were creatures of nature, the Queens assigned a certain animal to their vessels.

Clove took a step towards the falcon and she hopped back, revealing a single orchid bloom. "Is that your name? Orchid?" A squaw was her only answer. "Okay, Orchid." Clove looked back to the palace. The ice sparkled in sunlight and the two large doors, that had a huge snowflake on each, opened on their own.

The young woman swallowed hard and cautiously stepped inside, the doors shutting behind her. The interior was breathtakingly simple. The floor was smoother than glass, the walls were lined with beautiful pictures that seemed to be perfectly carved into the ice and on the was a glittering crystal chandelier. Giant, round, pillars held up the balcony on the second floor and from the bottom second floor balcony, hung thin, sparkling, and delicate beaded curtains. A grand staircase that split in the middle and curved up to the second floor.

Clove walked up the stairs and once again gasped. She stood in the throne room. The throne room looked just like the entrance room, the only differences, were the beautiful throne sitting up against the far wall and the two doorways on each side of the throne. The doorways were covered with beaded curtains that swayed lightly in the cold breeze. The throne itself sat on a raised pillar and had several thin, ice spikes behind it and two dragons carved into the base.

The young woman felt a pull towards one of the doorways. Taking a deep breath in, Clove let the pull guide her. The hallway was lined with images of dragons carved into the ice and freezing cold air brushed over Clove's bare arms and shoulders, yet she didn't feel the cold. She entered through the door at the end of the long hallway, on the other side was a large chamber with several more doors. Five of the doors looked the exact same, plain and blank. But, the door that was directly across from the hallway had a huge snowflake on it and the one to the right of it had a smaller snowflake on it.

"The last door to the left. Go through it." Clove heard Snowflake say and the young princess obeyed. It felt weird to have a dragon in her mind, but she knew she would get used to it. As the young princess approached the door, a sword appeared on it. An armory was on the other side. Clove had never seen so many weapons or pieces of armor, all were made out of solid ice. The young woman was drawn to a large sword with a spiked blade. "The chosen weapon. With it, you can summon your armor and you can keep the sword hidden." Within seconds, Snowflake gave her knowledge to her vessel, everything she knew. Clove grabbed the sword as well as a stomach armor plate. She didn't know why she grabbed the stomach plate, but her gut told her to. Her gut told her that she would need the armor. 

Clove looked at the sword and gasped as it turned into a flurry of snowflakes. “What the?” A large, beautiful, glittering snowflake sat in her palm. “That snowflake is where your sword is hidden, you can wear it as a hairpin or a brooch, or whatever you want. The possibilities are endless.” Clove thought for a moment before placing the snowflake on the choker that seemed to be molded to her neck perfectly.

Next, the young woman tied the stomach plate around her waist, the second the ties were secure the armor plate disappeared. “It will only appear when you are either attached, or you summon your weapon.”  
Suddenly, Snowflake started buzzing frantically in her mind. The young woman spun around and ran just as she heard her dragon call out worriedly. "Red Flame!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you all think. Wow, it is so good to be back. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	24. The Ice Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While waiting for Princess Clove, the small group is attacked by the Jade Vipers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. I would like to say thank you to Flyingtaco2002 for leaving kudos. And a big thank you goes out to everyone for 1618 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Kyro paced back and forth as they waited for Clove to return. Each minute was like torture for him. "How long does it take for an Element to get their powers?" Both Element Queens shrugged. "It depends on how long the maze is and whether or not she's exploring her palace. It took Lily four hours, three of which she spent searching her palace. It took me less than thirty minutes." Reina didn't even look up from the fire in her palm.

Kyro rolled his eyes and went back to pacing. None of the dragons had jumped into the other realm yet and Red Flame kept looking up at the large boulder. "The path to the Ice Kingdom is behind that boulder, isn't it?" Red Flame nodded at his vessel's question, but he didn't look down. "I...I'm hoping, with every scale on my body that any second now, I'll see those glittering white scales of hers."

The young prince was beyond shocked by Red's confession. The Crimson Dragon wasn't one to share his feelings, but with all that was going on, Kyro didn't blame him. "Let me give you a word of advice, boy." Kyro looked up at his dragon. "Cherish every single second you have with those you love the most. Because each second, could be their last." The young man nodded. He knew about that all too well, at least he thought he did. But, Kyro thought about his nightmare. 'I'll protect her. I will.'

Regina suddenly jumped up and scanned the surrounding area. "Did you hear that?" The others looked around. "Hear what?" Renda stood up slowly, followed by Lily and Aaron. "The rustling." Kyro stood up and looked around. "There it is again." By now everyone was standing and looking around, but no one could see anything. "Um, Regina, we are outside. The rustling could've been the wind blowing through the trees." The woman in question looked at her Queen like she had grown a second head more so than she usually did.

"Lils, I've been the Mixture Clan's Grand Marshal for far too long to believe that. I know what the wind here sounds like and that wasn't it. There it is again. Someone's up in that tree." Regina pointed to a tree that was growing out of the rocks.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" An assassin jumped from the tree and swung his sword at Lily, who instantly grabbed the water drop pendant hanging from a hidden bracelet, which turned into a light blue, coral sword with a wavy blade. Fifteen more assassins jumped from the tall grass and the surrounding bushes. As it turned out, the Mixtures were exceptional fighters, each using their own unique weapon of choice. 

Renda used the silk shawl that was wrapped around her shoulders, Reina used a whip and her fire. Kiren used daggers, while Regina used a wooden staff. The dragons were the biggest help though. Yet, it seemed as if these particular assassins were trained to avoid their jaws.

"KYRO, LOOK OUT!" Kharis shouted as an assassin threw his dagger at the Crimson Prince, who had been distracted by another assassin. Kyro barely had time to react, but it didn't matter. A shield of ice shot up from the ground to take the dagger's blow. Red Flame froze in both shock and awe. "Snowflake." He whispered as all looked up at Glacier Mountain.

A beautiful and majestic, pure white dragon flew from behind the largest boulder and swooped down towards the fighting group. Clove leaped off of her dragon's back and instantly pinned several assassins to the mountain's side with ice spikes.

In no time, the other assassins were either captured or knocked unconscious. "I think that's all of them." Regina said proudly as she nudged one of the knocked out men with her staff. "I say we leave Rose Red and Blood Red here. One can guard these idiots and the other can deliver them to the prison." Kiren nodded at Renda's suggestion. "Good idea." A couple of the men groaned and complained, but one roar from Blood Red shut them up. "You know what they say...the personality of the vessel often matches the personality of the dragon." Regina laughed as she patted her dragon's snout.

"SNOWFLAKE!" Red Flame shouted and ran towards the new dragon. "RED FLAME!" The two nuzzled each other affectionately. "Woah. It's so good to see you in the outside world again." Red laughed as he nuzzled Snowflake behind her horns. "It's good to be in the outside world again, but everything looks so different." Red Flame chuckled at her statement. "Well, it has been over three hundred years since you've been here." Snowflake frowned at his assumption. "I mean it seems so empty." Red frowned at her words, finally understanding what she meant. It was empty without the other Ice Dragons to spread the joy and love.

Kiren spotted his sister-in-law hugging her sister behind Kyro. The Mixture King grabbed his brother's shoulders, keeping the younger man's back towards the Ice Queen. "Kyro, have you actually seen Clove since she returned from the glacier?" The man in question looked confused. "No. I haven't. I was just about to look for her." Kiren chuckled at his little brother's response. "Well, she's right behind you, but when you see her, remember to breathe." Once again, the young prince looked confused. "Just breathe. Remember, breathe."

Kyro turned around and forgot how to breathe. Clove was wearing a glittering, pure white sleeveless, low cut gown that hugged her upper body tightly and flared out slightly at the waist in a single layered, floor-length skirt. Glittering white snowflakes decorated the skirt, although it was nearly impossible to tell, two long slits went up the front of her dress to barely show off her legs, and she wore white slippers.

A small band of tiny snowflakes was wrapped around her right upper arm and a white choker necklace with a snowflake pendant hugged her throat. A diamond headband curved perfectly around the crown of her head, a diamond crystal hung down her forehead and brushed the bridge of her nose. She also wore ice blue eyeshadow, bright red lipstick and her hair was tied up in a tight bun.

The beautiful Ice Queen turned to look at her husband, who hadn't yet remembered how to breathe. "Kyro." She sighed in relief and the man in question finally snapped out of it. He wrapped his arms around her slim shoulders and held her close. Clove didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him. To Kyro's surprise, Clove wasn't as cold as ice as he expected the Ice Queen would be, instead, she was quite warm.

Kyro glanced down and was beyond horrified when he saw no dragon mark on Clove's back. 'She still can't defend herself properly.' He thought as he pulled back to look into her blue eyes. He could see the power behind them, but he could also see, deep down that she was still the same Clove he had come to love. He then remembered that when the other vessels had split from their dragons, their marks had disappeared as well.

He embraced her again. Kiren and Lily watched the scene with warm hearts before Kiren frowned and looked to his wife. Unlike Reina and Clove, Lily didn't have anyone to hug her when she first earned her powers. She didn't have anyone to show her the way or to support her. Lily was thirteen when she earned her powers, Kiren met her a year later.

"Stop thinking that, Kiren." The Mixture King looked at the Queen in shock. "How did…" Lily laughed. "Oh, Kiren. You and I have been married for six years now and we've known each other for even longer. I know what all of your facial expressions mean." Kiren chuckled at his wife's statement. She, like always, was right.

"I hate to break up this disgusting public display of affect but, we need to get going." Regina rolled her eyes as she walked up to Blood Red. Kyro and Clove separated but stayed close to each other.

The dragons, minus Rose Red and Blood Red, all jumped back into the other realm and the group hopped onto their horses. Kyro's breath hitched when Clove climbed onto Zephyr and he noticed the way her dress fell at the slits to reveal her pale legs. He quickly reminded himself to breath as he too hopped onto his horse and rode next to Clove.

"So, how does it feel? Having your powers?" The woman in question shrugged as she looked up at her familiar, who was flying above her. "It's weird, but at the same time it's comforting. It's almost like I've been reunited with a part of me that I never knew I lost." Kyro nodded at her statement. "Do you need help learning how to shift or…" Clove shook her head. "That's the other weird part. Snowflake gave me the knowledge on controlling my powers." Once again, Kyro nodded and reached out to take her hand. "Clove, I…”

‘I love you.’ Is what he wanted to say, but Kyro also remembered what Red said in his nightmare. 'You kill everything you touch. Death follows you wherever you go.' The last thing Kyro wanted to do was place a death sentence on her. Thankfully he didn't need to finish his sentence. Clove smiled and nodded before squeezing his hand. "Me too, Kyro. Me too."

Aaron watched the two and felt a little jealous, not because Clove was showing affection for Kyro, but because, well Aaron didn't know why he was feeling jealous. The young lieutenant glanced over at Reina, who was now wearing her fire dress, and looking every bit like the Queen of Fire she was. She glanced over at him before huffing in frustration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what all you think. Hey everyone, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who is still reading this story. It's way longer than I meant for it be, but I've just had so much fun writing it. Not to mention, the support you all have given me has helped. So, thank you. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.


	25. Torn By Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyro, Clove, Kharis, Nouren, and Aaron get a lesson about the Jade Vipers and more is revealed about Lily's father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. I am so sorry that this chapter is shorter than the others, but I have just been so busy this week. But, I'm still here to bring you something, so here it is. Also, that last episode was wow. I have a feeling Aaron's gonna be okay. He has to be.   
> Anyway, I want to say thank you to Evie for commenting and to a guest for leaving kudos. And a big thank you goes out to everyone for 1709 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

"The nerve of those...those imbeciles. Attacking us. They should know better." Aaron opened his mouth to speak, but Regina beat him to it. "What do you expect, little sister? The Jade Clan has always been full of idiots. So has the Viper Clan." Kyro's head shot up. "Wait. Did you just say the Jade Clan and Viper Clan?" Regina nodded, but it was Renda who elaborated.

"The Jade Clan was created a few weeks after the Mixture Clan. A small group of Ceruleans wanted a life with zero Crimsons. The Viper Clan was the opposite. Crimsons who wanted a Cerulean free life. But, about six years ago, both clans became jealous of the Mixture Clan's land and success. So, naturally, both declared war on the Mixture Clan."

Regina smirked as she balanced a dagger on her finger, the blade end was on her finger. "Of course neither clan has had the balls to attack us properly yet. Only these small, pathetic excuses for ambushes." Reina laughed and Renda face palmed.

Aaron, Nouren, Kyro, Lily, and Kiren chuckled. "That's true. They know better than to attack us directly." The Mixture Queen spoke calmly. "And their ambushes have never been strong enough to harm anyone. Not even a scratch. Let's face it, they're both weak." Kyro frowned at Reina's statement. "They didn't seem so weak when they were trying to kill Clove."

The purple haired Fire Queen sighed. "That's because you didn't know them and we didn't know they would be desperate enough to attack the Crimson Clan, let alone Lily's sister...considering just how afraid of her they are." The smirk on Regina's face told all. She was happy that the Queen she served could strike so much fear into others.

Kyro and Clove glanced worriedly at each other. "But, we did find out that some of the Jade and Viper clan members were living in hidden cottages along the borders. And we captured several of them." Aaron's brow furrowed. "If I may ask, how did you manage that?" Reina looked down in guilt. "I...uh, I may or may not have gone into the woods, grumbling about how much I hated Princess Clove." Reina started mumbling towards the end of her sentence. "Soon after, I was approached by a member of the Jade Vipers and I offered to give him information. We arranged a meeting and I told Lily. She brought a squadron of mixture soldiers to the meeting place, which was a small cabin on the border. Then I got them to admit they wanted to kill Clove and they told me where another hideout was. Then the soldiers moved and captured them. I pretended to escape and ran to the next hideout and it started over."

Aaron smiled as he listened to Reina's stories. "I thought that my uncle was a part of the Jade Vipers. I was actually hoping that Raizo was their leader." Kharis looked at Reina in confusion. "Why on earth would you want a family member to be a traitor?" Lily was the one who answered. "Because it would be easy to fight him. We know Raizo and we know his weaknesses." There was a hint of sadness in Lily's voice. 

"Unfortunately, with how shocked Raizo was when the prison was attacked, it was clear that he wasn't their leader." Kyro narrowed his eyes at Reina's statement. "How do you know these particular Jade Vipers didn't act on their own?" Lily snorted. "Because at one point, we had over forty-five Jade Viper members in our prison. For five months, they stayed in the prison, but then I forged a letter pretending to be their leader. I told them to try and escape. After that, they tried several times, but they stopped after I forged another letter telling them to stop and they stopped."

Both Kyro and Clove looked at each other and both were thinking the same thing. 'Just because Raizo wasn't the leader of the Jade Viper, doesn't mean he isn't a member.'

"Personally, I was kind of hoping their leader would be my father." Now it was Clove's turn to look at her sister in surprise. "Why?" Lily looked at her solemnly. "Because then I'd be able to know him. I'd know what he looks like and I'd finally be able to say I have a father." Kharis looked down in sadness. "Lily, what makes you think your father is a part of the Jade Vipers?" The woman in question inhaled deeply before answering. "Because Lorelei told me that my father was a spy. Where else would a Cerulean spy go than with the Jade Vipers?" The young princess nodded at her sister-in-law's statement. "So far, all I know about him is that he had dark blue hair and bright blue eyes." Clove, Aaron, and Nouren tried to think of a Cerulean who looked like that, but they all came up empty handed. 

"I'm going to be honest with you, Lils. There's a chance that your father might not know about you." Lily nodded at Renda's statement. "That's what I'm hoping for." Kyro gave her a questioning look. “Why?” The young woman sighed. "Look Kyro, Right now I have three theories, one is he's dead, two he doesn't know about me, or three, he knows and doesn't care. I would prefer it to be the second one." 

Another theory suddenly came to Kyro's mind and he couldn't help but voice it. "Lily, has it ever crossed your mind that he knows about you and has been looking for you?" The woman in question shook her head but looked down thoughtfully, her brow furrowing. “I honestly don’t see how that would be possible. It wouldn’t be hard for him to figure it out, moreso since the Jade Vipers know exactly who I am.” A thought popped into Nouren’s head. “Lily, what if you’re father isn’t part of the Vipers.” Lily inhaled in annoyance, but Kiren could detect fear in her eyes. “Then he must be dead. Look, why is this so important for you all...It’s not like my father will change anything about me.”

"Reina?" The young woman looked over at Clove, who wanted to change the subject, for Lily's sake. "You mentioned that you saw Fei talking to a man who was a member of a rival clan, that's what led you to believe that she was a spy. Oh, what do you say the guy's name was?" Clove racked her brain, but she came up empty handed. "Daylen. He once worked backstage at the theater, but then he tried to murder Lily and he was caught. He spent about two weeks in the prison but he escaped when part of the prison collapsed. At first we thought he was dead, but a month later, he was spotted in a rival clan."

Regina eyed her sister suspiciously. "Are you going to tell them the rest of it?" Reina looked confused at her sister's statement. "What do you mean?" Regina rolled her eyes. "Are you going to tell them how far Daylen was willing to go? You're not telling them the full story."

"I don't see how that part is important. I told them the important parts. That's all they need to hear." Reina rolled her eyes, which made Regina's temper flare. "Reina!"

Aaron quickly rode up next to the woman in question. "Reina?" She looked at him. "What else did Daylen do?" The young man noticed the flash heartbreak that zipped through the young woman's eyes, and it made Aaron's blood boil in anger and jealousy.

"What was he to you?" Reina looked at the faces of the group before swallowing. "Daylen, was…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you think Daylen was? Let me know what you think. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	26. The Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The small traveling party arrive back at the Mixture Clan and Kyro receives a mysterious message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, so I wanted to start off by giving the fantastic news. I will not be changing the way I write this story. I want to thank Snowgriff and Helele for their input. Thank you both so much.  
> Another thank you goes out to Evie for commenting and to 4 guests for leaving kudos. I would also like to say thank you to SimpleSunset for bookmarking this story.  
> And last but certainly not least, a big thank you goes out to everyone for 1806 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

"What was he to you?" Reina looked at the faces of the group before swallowing. "Daylen, was...is my ex." Aaron's blood boiled in jealousy, but he didn't know why he was jealous, after all he and Reina weren't together.

"I left him after he tried to kill Lily. About a week before I went to the Crimson Palace to protect Clove, I saw your prisoner talking to Daylen. That's why I assumed she was a spy, but I was obviously wrong." Reina glanced down in sorrow. Kyro, Clove, Aaron, and Nouren all suspected that Reina wasn't telling the full story, but it was all she would tell at the moment.

Glancing up, Renda noticed the blurry outline of town. "Looks like we're almost home." The group nodded as Kyro glanced over at Clove, it was then that he noticed the icy blue dragon mark on her back. He sighed in relief before Dalila swooped down and landed on Reina's shoulder, a scroll in her beak.

Reina took the scroll from her familiar and took one look at the name written on the side before handing it to Regina. "It's for you, from Verna." Regina took the scroll and unrolled it before frowning intensely at the words written on it. She glanced up at Kyro before looking back down. "It would appear that your grand marshal as well as one of your generals have gone missing." The two younger Crimson siblings looked at each other worriedly, before Kyro glanced over at Clove. "Which one?"

Regina smirked as she read a little more. "Verna isn't familiar with the names of your soldiers, but she gave their description." Kyro nodded and Regina smirked playfully. "The general is your female one. The one one with the purple hair, not that good looking." Reina jokingly punched her sister's shoulder as the others chuckled, even Kyro.

"Oh, by the way, Reina." The woman in question looked over at her queen. "You're fired. You are no longer a general." Reina's eyes brightened and Kiren chuckled. "Technically you don't have the right to fire her. Her general status is in a territory that's out of our jurisdiction." The purple haired woman's face fell. Kyro and Clove looked at each other, an unspoken agreement drifted between them. "Reina," Both said at the same time and the woman in question looked at them. "You're fired."

The young woman smiled brightly. "I never thought I would be happy to hear those words. But, thank you both." The two royals nodded, it was the least they could do after Reina helped save their lives. “So, is there any reason that you can think of, as to why Raizo would leave?” Kyro turned to look at Lily before inhaling deeply. “All of the reasons I can think of are currently sixty leaks below.” The Mixture Queen nodded before looking over at the three sisters. “What about you three?” They all shook their heads.

“Come on. We need to hurry back to the town. We can see if anyone else knows anything.” Kiren said as he gently nudged his horse and it broke into a trot. The others followed.

Kyro looked over at Clove and noticed her outfit was changing. Her ice dress was fading away, starting from her shoulders and going down, to reveal the dress that she wore before she got her powers. Her bun fell back into a ponytail and her makeup disappeared, but her necklace stayed in place.

“That’s completely normal.” He turned to look at his sister-in-law. "It helps to keep the vessel safe and it keeps us from having to constantly replace outfits." Clove looked over at her sister. "Lily, we really don't get to choose our element outfits, do we?" The Water Queen shook her head. "We don't, but I think they're supposed to represent the opposite of our personalities." She was met with a bunch of weird looks. "For example, my element outfit looks serene, calming…"

"And her personality is feisty and hot-headed, don't let her queenly physique fool you." Kiren laughed as Lily swatted at him, a playful smile was on her lips. "Reina's is bold and it stands out, while she tries to blend in. Clove, your outfit confuses me. It's bright and bold, like you, but it's also...eye-catching." Kyro rolled his eyes at Lily's choice of words. "And Clove, you know how to be eye-catching at times." Her cheeks turned red at his words.

"We're here." Regina was right, they were entering the town. Lord Arkos was quickly approaching the small group. "Clove? Are you alright?" He nearly yelled in worry as his niece hopped off Zephyr. "Yes, Lily and I are both alright, uncle. Thanks for asking." Arkos opened his mouth to resort as the others got off of their horses. "I didn't…" He instantly shut up when he noticed Lily's shoulders drop.

But, before he could, Kyro spoke up. "Raizo, where did you disappear to?" The Crimson Grand Marshal looked over at Lily who was eyeing him suspiciously. "I was doing some research." The Mixture King tilted his head. "Oh, and what kind of research requires you to be missing for more than two day?" Raizo opened his mouth to respond, but Reina beat him to it. "And don't say you weren't. Verna already told us you were." Raizo looked at her in confusion. "I have no idea who this Verna is…"

"I'm your cousin, Raizo." The man in question turned around to see a woman who looked almost exactly like him. The only difference was her eyes were reversed. She wore the same armor and headband as the guards from before. "Everyone, this is our captain of the guards and former Grand Marshal, Verna." The woman nodded in their direction. "Charmed. Anyway, he actually disappeared around the time you all left. He hasn't been seen again until now." The group turned to look at Raizo, who was starting to sweat, expectantly.

"Okay, I was actually scouting the area for Jade Vipers." Both Kiren and Lily narrowed their eyes at him. "Leave that to my people. The one we trust." To everyone's surprise, Raizo merely bowed his head in her direction. "Of course, ma'am."

"What are you playing at, Raizo?" Regina demanded while the man in question merely shrugged. "I'm not playing at anything." His eldest niece looked to her king and queen, a silent conversation drifted between the three of them. "Okay, well in the meantime, Regina,"

"Ma'am." She saluted her queen. "I want as many dragon shifting soldiers around the borders, between us and our rival clans as you can spare. And I want soldiers in every watchtower, searching the caves, the high grasses, I want soldiers everywhere. I have a feeling the Jade Vipers are about to make a move.” Regina nodded and began relaying her queen’s orders to her men.

Kiren started to walk towards the palace and Kyro followed his brother. "Wow. Lily really knows how to strategize." Kiren nodded proudly. "That's why we make such a good team. I'm better at running the country while she's better at being the commander in chief." Kyro opened his mouth to resort, but a familiar voice called out. Semal was running towards the royals with two scrolls in his hand. "These were found nailed to a tree near the border of the Jade clan. One is addressed to Kyro and the other, to Raizo." Regina grabbed the one addressed to Raizo. "I will read this one first. I don't trust you enough to do otherwise."

Semal handed the other scroll to Kyro who quickly unrolled it to read the message. His brow furrowed at the neat, cursive lettering as he tried to decipher the wording.

  
  


Your Highness,

It's not yours.

A friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's not Kyro's? Let me know what you think. Once again I want to thank everyone for giving me the courage to keep this story going the way it is. Like I said before it's not that I don't like writing it, on the contrary I love it. But, the doubt I had was starting to eat at me and I need to know what you all thought as the readers. So, once again thank you.  
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	27. Suspicions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raizo accidentally reveals too much information to the King and Queen of the Mixture Clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! Here is another chapter for you all. But first, I would like to say thank you to INEEDSUBZERO for commenting and leaving kudos. Another thank you goes out to Snowgriff for commenting and to a guest for leaving kudos. And a big thank you goes out to everyone for 1896 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Kyro tilted his head in confusion. "What's not mine?" He asked out loud. "I have no idea." Clove had come over to look at the message. "It's probably the Jade Vipers, trying to cause trouble." The two royals nodded at Renda's words. Regina's confused statement turned their attention to her.

"Lily, you killed someone named Lilian?" Raizo's head turned violently as he shot a murderous glare at Lily. "YOU'RE the one who killed her." The woman in question rolled her eyes. "No, I did not kill myself. Besides, why do you care?" Raizo's eyes instantly softened as he struggled to speak. "You're...you're Lilian?" The Mixture Queen nodded, but it was Reina who verbally answered. "Yes, but why do you care? What does it matter what her name is?"

"I...Lilian…" The young woman raised her hand. "My name is Lily. Not Lilian." Raizo bowed his head. "My apologies, Lily...did you keep the headband?" The woman in question tilted her head in confusion. "The golden one."

Both Lily and Reina froze and looked at each other. "How...how did you know about that?" The Grand Marshal merely shrugged. "Did you keep it?" A mixture of fear and hope filled his eyes. Lily looked over at Reina who nodded. "For a while, but then I gave it to Reina. It suited her better." Reina smiled as she touched the golden band on her forehead. "I've worn it ever since. Only taking it off at night when I sleep." Disappointment filled the Grand Marshal gaze as he eyed the headband.

"Now, I'll ask you again, how did you know about that?" The man in question raised his eyes to meet Lily's. "Because your father told me that he was going to give it to your mother, so she could give it to you." The young woman gasped in shock. "You knew my father." Reina grabbed her arm. "Lily, he's lying."

"I am not lying. I know your father. He… you have the same blue that he has in his eye. The exact same shade and the dark blue of his hair." Lily narrowed her eyes at him as she subconsciously touched a strand of dark blue hair. "I don't believe you. Lorelei gave me the headband when I was ten, you were long gone by then, so my father couldn't have told you about it. Unless you were betraying the Crimson Clan or, you were or are part of the Jade Vipers."

Raizo held his hands up. "Woah, woah, now let's not go that far. I would never join those vile, repulsive, imbeciles." Everyone in the small group rolled their eyes. "Semal, I want you to keep a close eye on him, both you and your sister. Also, please ask Shang and Ping to help you two out." The man in question bowed his head. "I know the three of them will be glad to follow the orders from one of their Crimson sisters." Arkos rolled his eyes at the young man's statement. He knew Semal had said that to rub their views in his face. He'd been doing it ever since the two clans had arrived.

"Lils, it's getting pretty late. We need to head inside and get some real rest." Lily nodded at Reina's suggestion. "I guess we should. But, those of you who wish to do so, may explore the town a little more." She and Kiren started for the palace. Kyro, Kharis, Nouren, and Clove followed. Aaron moved to follow the group, but noticed Reina sneaking away and moved to follow her.

Kirra was sitting at a small table in the main study. She was sipping a cup of her medical tea while watching her grandchildren play. Seraphina was standing over her little sister’s crib, gently shaking a light purple, wooden rattle. The baby laughed each time the toy made noise. Ruby and Clover were playing with painted red and blue dragons carved from wood. "The Crimsons will guard the mountains while the Ceruleans guard the rivers." Ruby said as she placed the small blue dragons on the blue streaks of the rug. Clover nodded and placed the red dragons on the red streaks. "And the plains will be guarded by the soldiers." Ruby placed two dolls between the dragons, one was red and one was blue.

Kirra smiled down at the two. It amazed her at how casually the two spoke of Crimsons and Ceruleans working together. But then again, they had grown up in a clan where Crimsons and Ceruleans worked together all the time. Kirra frowned as she watched the four of them. If only the two warring clans had found a way to make peace sooner. Maybe with a marriage between not Kyro and Clove, but between Kirren and Lily. Maybe then, she would've been able to watch three of her grandchildren grow up. But, if Kiren and Lily hadn't come to the Mixture Clan, where would their people be? Would they still be ruled by the tyrant king, or would someone else have taken over? And if so, who?

Kirra was starting to develop a small headache, but the questions wouldn't leave her mind. She couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if things had been different.

"You're Majesty?" Four of the five people looked up. Yun was standing in the doorway. Ruby jumped up and ran over to hug him. "YUN!" The young boy hugged her back and Kirra couldn't help but smile at the two. When Ruby stepped back, Yun looked to the Crimson Empress. "King Kiren and Queen Lily are back along with Prince Kyro, Princess Kharis, and Princess Clove." Kirra nodded at the young boy as Ruby, Clover, and Seraphina stood up. "Come on, mom and dad are home!" The three ran out, with Yun close behind them. Kirra laughed as she stood up and moved to lift Pearl out of her crib.

She walked to the grand staircase in time to see her son and daughter-in-law hugging their children. Lily looked up at her mother-in-law with a smile. "Thank you so much for watching them." She walked over to the staircase to meet the older woman at the bottom. Kirra nodded before handing the baby over to her mother.

"Anytime. They were little angels, you two are doing a wonderful job of raising them." The two parents smiled at each other lovingly before Kyro, Clove, and Kharis walked in behind them. The look in Kharis' eyes told Kirra everything. Their journey had been successful.

Aaron explored the town a little while he waited for Reina to exit the building behind the theater. He was about to head back to the palace, when music started playing and the crowd cheered. Aaron turned to see Reina dancing to the music before turning and grabbing a man and woman, pulling them into the dance. The young lieutenant gasped at her appearance. Her light purple dress was simple, yet elegant and her hair was twisted into a thick braid and filled with colorful flowers. 

She pulled several more people into the dance and even more joined willingly, before she spotted Aaron and waved at him to join. He shook his head, but someone from behind shoved him into the fray and a woman pulled to twirl around with her. He tried to escape, but he kept getting pulled back in. But, when Aaron caught sight of Reina twirling to the music without a care, he relaxed and joined in.

At one point, during the song, he and Reina reached for one another to dance, but Aaron was pulled away by another woman while Reina was pulled away by another man. However, the young lieutenant never took his eyes off of the purple haired woman who was slowly stealing his heart.

The music became faster as the song came to an end, but just before the last note was released into the air, Aaron looked over at the Fire Queen who was twirling and skipping to the beat only a few feet from him. In a desperate move, Aaron spun in front of her and she bumped into him, grabbing his hands out of instinct.

Reina looked at who it was, blushed and was about to speak when the musicians called out that it was time to head back in. Reina quickly pulled away with an apologetic look on her face. Aaron could only watch her leave with mixed feelings. He wanted to call out to her, but he didn't.

Clove flinched away as Kyro placed his hand on her shoulder. She had been gazing out of their bedroom window when he had entered. The young prince frowned at her reaction and he stepped in front of her, his hands on her shoulders. "Clove," His voice was strong, but filled with hurt. "What's wrong?" Her lips parted ever so slightly as she took a sharp breath in. "I'm scared, Kyro." Another pang of hurt shot through his heart. 'Even after all this time, she's still afraid of you.' A rebel part of Kyro's brain taunted.

"And what are you afraid of, Clove? I swear to you on my life, I will never harm you…" The young woman shook her head and fearfully pushed his hands off of her. "No, it's not you I'm afraid of. I don't even think I could be afraid of you now, even if I wanted to." Kyro cocked his head in confusion. "Then, what…?"

"Ky, I'm afraid of myself. I'm afraid that...With these new powers I'll lose control and hurt someone...I'm afraid that I'll hurt you." The young prince gasped at her words. She wasn't afraid of him, she was afraid for him. "Clove," He took a step towards her and she took one back before turning around. "I know that Lily said we element vessels can't lose control, but I'm still afraid that I will. It's just all so new to me, I just can't shake the feeling of fear." As she spoke, Kyro carefully walked around to stand right in front of her before rushing forward to embrace her. Clove never saw his embrace coming.

The young princess tried to pull away, but Kyro wouldn't allow it. "Listen here, Clove…" His voice was serious and strong. "I may not have known you long, but I've known you long enough to know that you aren't one to lose control. You are stronger than any person I know. I just wish you could see it." Kyro pulled back and took her face in his hands. "And if you do lose control, I'll be right here to help you regain control." The sincerity in his voice caused tears to burn in her eyes. Clove reached out to wrap her arms around him, Kyro froze for a second before hugging her back.

"I love you, Kyro." The man in question froze. Neither one has ever said those three words before. The royal couple preferred to show their love, rather than speak it. "I love you too, Princess." Clove smiled at his nickname for her. She doubted he would ever stop calling her princess, not that she wanted him to stop.

They stayed like that for a minute before Clove grabbed her stomach and grunted in pain. "Clove?" Kyro grabbed her arms to hold her up. "I'm fine. I'm just...not feeling well." The young prince bent down slightly to pick her up bridal style. "Come, you need to rest." He walked her over to the bed and laid her down before pulling the sheets up to her neck. The young princess smiled fondly at his concern for her. His gentle side was one that few ever saw, it was a side of him that had been saved for Kharis, Kirra, and now, Clove.

Pain shot through her stomach again and the young woman pressed her hand to her stomach. It relieved the pressure slightly and Clove released a breath. "Does that help?" Kyro had walked over to the other side of the bed and was now sitting down next to her. The woman in question nodded. Kyro reached over to grab her hand. "We need to get you to the physician."

Clove shook her head. "No, Kyro they'll be asleep by now. I'll see how I feel in the morning." She rolled over to wrap her arms around her husband, pulling him close. "I promise...I'm fine." Her words became slurred and her eyes became heavy. Kyro chuckled as he pressed his lips to her forehead. He gazed at her for a few more minutes, before drifting off himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who got the references? What do you think Raizo is up to? Let me know what you think.  
> Wow, this is my longest chapter yet, I honestly did not mean for this chapter to be so long, but I had too much fun writing it, plus I wanted to keep the next chapter just as it is, so I couldn't just add this one to it. But, who's complaining? I'm not.  
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving. Until next Thursday.


	28. Kyro's Worst Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyro experiences his worst fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. I would like to say thank you to INEEDSUBZERO, littledahlia, and to Helele for commenting. Another thank you goes out to a guest for leaving kudos. Thank you to malice23 and Sparrow_Wood for bookmarking this story.  
> And a giant thank you goes out to everyone for 1967 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Kyro shivered as he ran up the stairs in the Ice Palace, trying his best not to slip. Clove had gone to her palace because of a disturbance. The Crimson Prince had gone with her, but promised to stay at the entrance of the pathway that led to the palace. About twenty minutes ago, Orchid had flown down and flapped wildly, signaling to Kyro that something was wrong.

Kyro hadn't stopped running since. "CLOVE?!" No answer. "CLOVE?!" He stopped when he spotted seven doors. Five of the doors looked the exact same, plain and blank. But, the door that was directly across from the hallway had a huge snowflake on it and the one to the right of it had a smaller snowflake on it.

His gut told him to go into the door with the smaller snowflake on it, but he quickly shook that thought from his mind and raced up the stairway behind him. "CLOVE!" No answer. He ran higher and faster, until he reached another landing and froze in his tracks.

A red headed, blue eyed woman in a long black and midnight blue robe stood in the center. "Clove, thank goodness your..." The woman wasn't Princess Clove. She was older and Kyro could see a little bit of both Clove and Lily within her. 'She must be their mother, Queen Lorelei.' The young prince thought as the older woman laughed sinisterly.

"You poor, insignificant, little fool. Thinking you could really protect them. You poor, poor little prince." Kyro narrowed his eyes at the older woman's words. "Well," She grabbed the side of her dark robe which pooled behind her like a black puddle. "Here are your precious princesses." She yanked her robe back to reveal Princess Clove lying on the floor, a pool of blood growing beneath her. "CLOVE!"

He fell to his knees next to her and gently rolled her over. Kyro pressed his hands to the stab wound on her stomach, trying his best to stop the blood flow, but it was a failed attempt. "Clove, come on. Clove, please don't do this." He pressed down harder on her wound.

Lorelei's joyful laughter rang out through the ice filled chamber, even though the woman was no longer in the space. "You cry for her and plead with her like you're not the one who split her blood." Kyro sat up, removing his hands from her wound in the process. "What?" The young prince looked down and noticed, for the first time, that he was clutching onto a bloody dagger. A look of horror passed over Kyro's face as he dropped the dagger. "No, no. I couldn't...I wouldn't…"

"I want to thank you, Prince Kyro. For taking care of the threat." It was then that Kyro realized the doorways were no longer there. "Clove, come on! PLEASE!" He gently lifted the young princess, pressing her to him. "Please, stay with me." Lorelei's laughter rang out once more. "Their blood is on your hands."

Kyro shot up with a gasp and breathing heavily. Looking over, he noticed Clove was sleeping peacefully next to him. The young prince reached over and gently pressed two fingers to the side of her neck as he eyed her chest. He had to make sure. Her pulse beat steadily beneath his fingertips and her chest rose and fell rhythmically. Kyro sighed in relief before leaning over to press his lips to her forehead.

He then retreated to sit on the side of the bed, his head in his hands. "What's going to happen to my princess?" Clove suddenly inhaled sharply and Kyro instantly reached over to place his hand on her stomach. He applied slight pressure like she had done and Clove sighed in relief. Suddenly, an overprotective feeling filled Kyro as he laid down next to his wife. He wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Over in the gardens, a sleepless Lieutenant Aaron walked along the pristine paths. He had tossed and turned for hours before deciding to take a walk, of course he had to inform the night guards of his plan before he could leave the palace walls. He didn't know why he couldn't sleep, he just couldn't. The sound of not so distant footsteps, alerted Aaron to the fact that he was not alone.

"Who's there?" A familiar voice called out and Aaron sighed in relief as his heart skipped a beat. "It's just me, Reina. Lieutenant Aaron." The purple haired woman appeared from around the corner and sighed in relief. "Sorry, Lieutenant. I heard footsteps and became suspicious, considering no one ever comes here this late at night." Aaron frowned at the formal way she was speaking to him, it unnerved him in a way that he couldn't explain. "Well, obviously someone does." He gestured to her and Reina smirked.

"Only when I can't sleep. Is that your excuse as well?" The man in question nodded. "I was told by one of the night guards that the gardens were a good place to explore, especially at night." Reina nodded. "They are, the moonlight illuminates everything perfectly." The young lieutenant looked around the garden, she was right. "Would you like some company, Reina?" The young woman in question shrugged. "I'm neutral to the idea." Aaron nodded at her response.

"Reina...I may be overstepping, but I couldn't help but...I had this feeling that you weren't telling us the full story about you and Daylen." The young woman snorted sarcastically. "I told you all the important parts. Nothing else was relevant." Muted pain filled her eyes and Aaron walked up to stand beside her. "It is to me." Reina turned her head to look at him. "What did he do to you?"

"He and I met during the Fall of Cion Celebration, we were friends for a year then we dated for three years. Then he proposed." Aaron's eyes narrowed into a jealous glare, although he didn't know why he was jealous. "On the day of our wedding, I was behind the garden's doors," Reina pointed to the two large wooden doors at the entrance to the gardens, both were currently open. "He was nowhere to be found, Lily was nearly freaking out." The young woman chuckled.

"She was walking around this area, when I peeked through the gates and saw someone moving up in the guard's hallway." Reina pointed at the top of the wall. Aaron could tell there was a somewhat hidden hallway. The columns and low roof hid it well, the young lieutenant would have never known it was there if she had not pointed it out. "Of course, at first I thought nothing of it, but then I noticed the person had a bow and arrow, which the guards in that hallway don't carry. The archers have a different station. It wasn't hard to figure out who they were aiming at."

Aaron nodded, a silent signal for her to continue. "Well, I raced out and pushed Lily out of the way right as his arrow flew down, caught me right here." Reina placed her hand a few inches above her heart, where Aaron had noticed the scar in the Fire Kingdom. "My height was the only thing that saved my life." The Cerulean Lieutenant searched through his memories of the Mixture Queen, she was a few inches taller than Reina. "Because you're shorter than Queen Lily." It was more of a statement than a question, but the young woman still nodded.

"It was aimed at her heart. Anyway the archer took off and a lot of people chased after him, it was my great uncle who took him down by slamming a shield in his face." Aaron flinched, but chuckled. "He definitely deserved it." The purple haired woman nodded. "Anyway, I had to see who it was, so Water Drop helped me get to the roof. Let's just say the pain of my heart breaking outweighed the pain of my injury." Reina blinked rapidly trying to keep the tears at bay.

Aaron reached out to wrap his arms around her, but then he remembered himself and made it look like he was stretching instead. "So, was that really Lily's headband?" He asked, trying to change the subject. Reina nodded and a small smile appeared on her lips. "She had lost it in a battle during the rebellion and I thought she had died in that battle. So, I wore it into the next and final fight. When I saw her afterwards, she questioned it, but when I tried to return it, she told me to keep it. That it looked better on me." Aaron imagined the headband on Lily and found himself agreeing with her.

"How did Raizo know about it?" Reina shrugged. "Who knows. It's no secret that she had a golden headband. There's a thousand ways he could've found out, or he could have just taken a really accurate guess. But, there are details about the headband that he won't know about, unless he's seen it. Which he won't." Aaron chuckled and looked around, he had a feeling that they were being watched.

"Reina…?" The woman in question nodded. "I feel it too. Let's go back inside." This time, Aaron nodded. "Good idea." The two turned and headed back inside the palace. Aaron walked Reina to her room where the two said good night and parted ways.

A frantic knock on the door pulled Kiren and Lily out of sleep. The Queen was the first one up and pulling the door open. Regina stood with a cold glare in her eye. "The Crimson Grand Marshal Raizo tried to sneak out of the clan half an hour ago. Ping is following him now. They're headed in the direction of the Jade Clan." Lily looked back at Kiren who nodded. "Wake up Prince Kyro and Princess Clove." The Mixture Grand Marshal nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think Kyro's nightmare mean? Where do you think Raizo is going? Let me know what you all think. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	29. Another Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The small group follows Raizo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW! 2000 hits! Here is a celebratory chapter. Thank you everyone. and Thank you to INEEDSUBZERO and littledahlia for commenting. And thank you to three guests for leaving kudos. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Kyro shot up when Regina knocked on the door. Suspicion and fear filled him as he looked over at Clove. "Stay here." She nodded but stood up and grabbed her stomach. The young prince cracked the door open and looked out. Regina gave a small sarcastic smile and wave when she caught his eye.

He opened the door up all the way and stepped aside, the purple haired woman entered. "Your Grand Marshal, Raizo was seen sneaking out of this clan, he's heading for the Jade Clan. One of my best soldiers is following him. And I rarely use the word best." Clove let out a breathy laugh at her words.

"Lily and Reina are getting ready to follow them, don't tell her this, but Kiren is going to sneak out and follow them." Clove stepped forward. "He's not the only one." Kyro spun around. "Clove, no…"

"Kyro, yes. I'm going to help my sister and my people." She moved to walk around her husband who gently grabbed her upper arm. Regina threw her hands in the air and walked out of the room. "Clove, you're already sick, you don't need to be going out." She walked over to stand right in front of him. "I'm going. If Raizo is working for the Jade Vipers, then they're going to need all the help they can get. Besides, the more people, the more information we can get. But, you don't have to…"

Kyro gave her arm a small squeeze. "Don't even think about finishing that sentence." Clove smirked, she won, again.

It didn't take Lily and Reina long to find the soldier, once they did, the Queen told him to head back home, which he did. "There's Raizo." Reina whispered as she pointed to the man who was doing his best not to be seen. "If he's headed for the Jade Clan, it'll take him several days to get there." Lily shook her head. "He's not really headed that way. He's heading more in the direction of the abandoned palace."

Reina could've slapped herself for not thinking of that sooner. "Hey, Reina. I need to borrow your headband." The purple haired woman looked at her in confusion. "And may I ask why?" She asked as she took off the golden headpiece and handed it to her friend. "Because, Raizo acted like he knew an awful lot about the band that was given to me. I want to know if he can tell the difference between this one and the real one."

The younger woman nodded as the older one put the headband on her forehead. "He won't." Lily shrugged. "Come on."

"Wait." The two women turned around and saw their former traveling. "What are you all doing here?" Lily asked through gritted teeth in a hushed type yell. "Uh, the more the merrier." Kiren chuckled and the two women rolled their eyes . There was no use arguing with them. "Fine. Come on." The small group trotted after Raizo, who kept looking around as if to see if anyone was following him. Luckily, the group stayed to the side, where they wouldn't be spotted easily.

"There is no doubt in my mind that he's heading for the abandoned palace." Kiren as the Mixtures nodded their heads. The outsiders looked at him in confusion. "What's the abandoned palace?" Renda leaned forward to answer Nouren's question. "After the Mixture Clan town was finished being built, the King and Queen decided to build a safe place for the people, just in case the outside war made its way in. So, they had another palace built for their people to hide in when and if the war came."

Kyro and Clove looked at each other in amazement. "It seems like they really loved and cared about their people." The Mixtures nodded. "Unfortunately for them, three years after the palace was finished, blizzards struck the area, freezing everything and leaving that palace unlivable."

"Now we have the caves and underground tunnels. Which were discovered by the Crimsons and half bloods of this clan during the Cerulean Tyrant King's reign and used by the Ceruleans and half bloods during the Crimson Tyrant King's reign." This time, Aaron and Nouren looked at each other. "The Mixture Clan really has a plan for every situation, don't they?" Kiren nodded at the lieutenant's question. "We honestly thought about everything, even disasters that could never happen."

Kharis looked over at her older brother in confusion. "Like what?" Lily and Reina smirked. "Floods, volcanoes, landslides, and blizzards. Well, unless Clove has a bone to pick with us then we could have a blizzard." The woman in question chuckled and shook her head. "I could see you guys not having floods or landslides, but I doubt you don't have blizzards and I know you have a volcano."

"Actually, the part of the volcano where the lava is at is facing away from the town, plus the whole mountain is tilted in the opposite direction. And it's too far away for the lava to make it to the town. Not to mention there's not enough lava in the volcano for it to erupt." Aaron blinked at Reina's knowledge, but then again she was the Fire Queen. Of course she'd know about the lava.

"What about your rival clans? Why do they want the Mixture Clan so badly?" Regina was the one to answer the question. "Because we are prospering in paradise while they are going under." Lily sighed and shook her head. "The King and Queen before us and Kiren and I offered to let them stay in our territory, but they refused and just declared war on us." Clove frowned, but Kyro beat her to asking the question. "Why are they going under?"

Renda sighed in sorrow. "The Viper Clan has earthquakes and rockslides while the Jade Clan is nothing but a blizzard wasteland." Kyro and Clove looked at each other in sorrow for the people of the clans, but then again they chose to stay there.

"Even now people from both clans seek refuge in ours." Aaron and Nouren looked at each other. It seemed like the Mixture Clan was a refuge for everyone. "He's heading towards the mountain's caves. The abandoned palace is on the other side." 

Kyro looked over at his sister-in-law. "Lily, is it possible that the Jade Vipers are hiding out there?" She looked over at Kiren before they both shrugged. "Yes and no. We don't send anyone out there to check it out, but it's too cold for anyone to live there for long periods of time." Something that Renda had said suddenly clicked with Nouren. "But, if they're members of the Jade Clan, then wouldn't they be used to that kind of weather."

"We never thought of that, nor did we really care." His answer made sense. "But, my question is, Raizo knows that we're onto him, so why would he put himself at risk by heading to their hideout?" Renda's question puzzled everyone except for Regina. "Because there's a trap waiting for whomever is following him." Her answer stunned everyone, but made perfect sense.

"Then we outsmart him. There's more than one tunnel that leads to the abandoned palace and without a map, there's no way anyone could know where they all are." From her satchel, Regina pulled out a scroll and unraveled it as Raizo walked into one of the caves. "Let's see. The most common way is the Wren Tunnel, it's the biggest and longest tunnel, but there are the Spider Leg Tunnels most are shorter than the Wren Tunnel."

The outsiders blinked at Regina's knowledge of the tunnels. "Okay, what's the shortest of the spider legs?" Kiren and Lily walked up behind her to look over her shoulder at the map. Regina smirked before pointing to one on the right side. "This one."

"Then we go through that one." Lily, Regina, and Reina shook their heads. "No, we should split up. We'll be too easy to spot together, but Clove and I will have to hide our hair." Kyro nodded and pulled off his black overcoat before throwing it over Clove's head. "Hey." She laughed before throwing it back at him. "I have this." She used her powers to create a white head scarf.

Lily used hers to make blue head scarfs for her and Reina. "Okay, here's how we're going to do it." Regina started but sighed as she eyed the people around her. "I'm seriously going to regret this, but Aaron, Reina, you two take this tunnel. Kiren, Lily you two should take this one. Kharis, Nouren you two take this one. Kyro, Clove you two take this one. Renda and I will take this one. If you can, try to sneak around and see what you can find out, but don't risk it." They nodded and Kyro could believe that he was actually agreeing to this, but what other choice did he have at the moment.

"I honestly don't think Clove should…ugh." Kyro was hit in the face with a snowball." I'm going. Besides, you guys might need someone who's not bothered by the cold." Kiren nodded at her statement. "Okay then, are we ready?" A nod from everyone and they were off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you think the Jade Queen is? Let me know what you all think. Once again thank you all for 2000 hits. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all on Thursday.


	30. The Jade Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. I would like to say thank you two 4 guests for leaving kudos. And thank you to INEEDSUBZERO for commenting. I honestly enjoy reading your theories.  
> And a big thank you goes out to everyone for 2064 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

"I still think you should go back to the clan." Clove rolled her eyes at her husband's statement. "I'm fine, Kyro." The young man sighed. "I just don't want anything to happen to you, Princess." The Ice Queen turned around to face Kyro. "Nothings going to happen to any of us, so long as we are careful."

She walked on, leaving him behind. "Clove…" He stopped when she pressed herself up against the wall before turning to him. "Jade Vipers." She mouthed and pointed around the corner. He walked up behind her and peered around the corner. Two men dressed like the assassins were guarding the main tunnel just a few feet away from them.

"I'll knock them out…" Clove placed her hand on his chest to stop him. "I'll use my ice. It'll be much quieter and safer for...us?" Before she could finish her statement, the two men let out pained grunts. The sound of them hitting the ground followed by running footsteps filled the cave.

The royal couple looked at each other before peering around the corner. The two Jade Vipers were lying on the ground, both had an arrow in their head. "Regina is a really good aim." Clove nodded and they ran past the bodies and into the main tunnel.

"There's another body." The man wasn't wearing the typical uniform of the Jade Vipers, his mask and poncho were missing. "Someone is going undercover and they are using his clothes." Kyro nodded before noticing the light at the end of the tunnel. "Come on."

They ran to the exit and looked down. Jade Vipers were everywhere, all in masks and all moving crates. "What do you think are in those crates?" Clove asked fearfully. "Eh, nothing good. Wait, that's Lily."

"Wait, what?" Kyro wasn't wrong. Queen Lily was being led towards the frozen palace by eight masked men. "We have to help." Clove moved to use her ice, when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. "No, don't. This is all a part of her plan." Kiren sounded both frightened and confident. "Those men will take her straight to their Queen. From there, she'll get the information we need. Plus, we'll finally learn who their Queen is. We'll meet her at Glacier Pass." The two nodded as they watched as the Mixture Queen disappeared into the palace.

Lily inhaled deeply as the guards roughly shoved her into the throne room, which was just as frozen as the rest of the palace. It was hard to get Regina, Renda, and Reina to go along with the plan and it was even harder to get Kiren to agree to it. But, eventually she was able to and while they gathered the rest of their traveling party and headed for Glacier Pass.

Once Lily was in the center of the throne room, the guards stepped away from her, except for one who stayed close to her. "Well, well, well. You've finally decided to arrive." The young woman froze at the sound of the voice that she knew all too well. "Ah, and I see you've kept the headband I gave you."

The former Cerulean Queen, Lorelei stepped out from behind the stone wall next to the throne. "You! You're behind all this. The assassination attempts on my sister and her husband." Lily felt like she couldn't breathe as Lorelei laughed sinisterly. The guard standing next to Lily stiffened. "Well, no. At the time, he wasn't her husband. The second attempt wasn't me, those were the Vipers, not the Jades." The way Lorelei casually spoke about her own daughter's attempted murder made Lily's blood boil. "I have a feeling that the Jade and Viper Clans are working together." Lorelei smirked. "Smart girl."

"Yeah, I must get it from my father. Cause I sure as hell don't get it from my mother." The guard next to Lily shifted uncomfortably and the Jade Queen's eyes flashed. "Clove also got her lack of intelligence from her father." Lily's anger flared at the older woman's words.

"How could you!? She was your daughter! I can see you not liking me, but Clove did nothing wrong!" Lorelei shrugged. "She's a threat to my plans. Well, at least her little brat will be." Lily took a protective step forward. "Clove has no children." The older woman smirked. "Not yet."

"Why, mother? You loved Clove. She was your pride and joy. Why would you turn against her?" Lorelei's eyes dropped but she quickly remembered herself and glared at her eldest daughter. Before sitting down on the throne and reaching over to grab a piece of cloth that was covering a round object next to the throne. "I have my reasons." She pulled the cloth away to reveal a clear crystal ball.

Lily froze at the sight of the Relic of Power. "The Relic of Power. You do have it. You've used it." Lorelei nodded her head with a smirk. "Why would you throw away your life for that? You gave up everything for power. Why?"

The Jade Queen suddenly stood up, her eyes flashing in anger before calming down. "Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a Cerulean Queen with two young daughters. The Queen was leading a losing clan to war. So, in a moment of desperation, she sold part of her soul for the power to win the war, but it wasn't enough. The Relic of Power wasn't all it was said to be. Despite what the rumors said, she couldn't raise the dead. But, she was only using small bits of its power, so she wouldn't lose that much of herself."

She looked at Lily and smirked. "But then, using that same relic, she looked into the future and saw her youngest daughter, FORCED to marry the enemy prince. She couldn't let that happen, so she started using more of the relic's power and it only led to her downfall. But, even with the special powers, she was unable to prevent her youngest from suffering that terrible fate."

Lorelei started walking towards the Mixture Queen. "And now, for the sake of keeping the peace, Princess Clove stands with Prince Kyro despite the way he treats her." Lily tilted her head in confusion. 

"The way he treats her? You mean with respect, like she's a queen. Kyro has never hurt her. Yes, he can be overprotective at times, but when she says she's going to walk into danger...He doesn't try to stop her, especially now and he knows that she can take care of herself." Lily smirked at the Jade queen. "Despite what you want me to believe, Kyro has never laid a hand on Clove with the intent to harm. But, at the same time, he doesn't treat her like a damsel in distress."

Lorelei walked closer to Lily. "You've seen how he acts around her in front of a crowd, but what about when no one's around. I doubt he's still as gentle and patient. Do you want to know what I saw with the relic?" The younger woman narrowed her eyes at the older woman. "I saw that monster you call Kyro place his hand on Clove's shoulder, only for her to flinch away. What do you think that means? To me, it says that she has been on the receiving end of his fist more than one."

"It could mean a million things. But, I've seen enough to know that he doesn't harm her." The older woman smirked and gave her head a slight nod. An archer behind Lily aimed right at her. "Just like your sister, you continue to stand with the enemy, despite knowing the truth. But, you can't fool me. My messenger sparrow has already filled me in on everything." Lily smirked at the older woman. "Oh, we already know about him."

The look on the Jade Queen's face told Lily everything. "Well, then I guess he'll have to disappear."

"Good luck with that. But, before we continue this lovely conversation," Both women rolled their eyes at the younger one's words. "Tell me one thing, did you ever truly love Clove and I?" Lorelei opened her mouth, but no words came out. Instead, her tear-filled eyes dropped to the floor as she shrugged to speak. Taking a deep breath in, her eyes met her daughter's hope-filled ones. "Does a horse love a flea that's sucking the life from it?" Lorelei snapped her fingers and the archer fired at the Mixture Queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not sorry. Please don't hate me, but let me know what you all think. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	31. The Truth Comes Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. I would first like to say thank you to littledahlia and INEEDSUBZERO for commenting. Another thank you goes out to three guests for leaving kudos. A big thank you goes out to everyone for 2152 hits.  
> I'm sorry (not) for leaving everyone hanging on that massive cliffhanger, but a fair warning, it will not be the last one. (Evil laugh) I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

The guard next to her, tackled the young Queen to the ground. Causing the arrow to miss Lily and instead strike Lorelei. The guard then pulled Lily to her feet and shoved her through a side door. "GET THEM!" Lorelei shouted as she pulled the arrow out and grabbed the crystal ball for its power.

"Move it. Do not stop!" The guard shouted as he ran behind her. "I have no plans of doing so." The two ran out, Lily had memorized the layout of the palace through old scrolls and maps. "Turn right here, there's a secret doorway that leads to the underground tunnels." The guard shoved the door open and the two ran through. "Come on. This way."

The guard nodded and ducked through the tunnels. However, Lily tripped, she quickly righted herself but she lost her headband in the process. It wasn't long before the two saw daylight and felt the cold of the mountains. "Why did you help me?" The guard pulled off his mask to reveal the Crimson Grand Marshal Raizo. “YOU!” He pulled out her headband and held it up. “You lost this, but this isn’t the same one from your father.” The young woman snatched it out of his hand.

“Yes, it is. It’s the one Lorelei gave to me. Now I’ll ask again, why did you help me?” Raizo tilted his head in confusion. “No, it’s not. Otherwise, it would have dragons carved into the sides with sapphires for eyes.” Lily’s head shot up at the mention of the dragons. “How did you know about those?”

Raizo inhaled deep as Lily repeated her question. “Because I carved them myself.” The young woman blinked at his answer. “Why would you…” The look on his face told her everything. “Lily, I am not a perfect man, nor will I pretend to be. But, I will not deny the fact that I care about my daughter. I always have.” Lily turned around to hide the tears in her eyes. “Why?”

“I was willing to leave the Crimson Clan for your mother, but I made the mistake of telling her the truth about me. She banished me afterwards and I will admit I was upset. But, it only grew after she sent me a scroll saying she wanted to talk to me ten years later." Lily's lips parted slightly. 

"This was when she told me about you. Then she told me that if I wanted you to be alright...I'd have to kill the Crimson royal family." The young Queen gasped at his words. Yes, Lily knew how desperate her mother had been to win the war, but she didn't realize the woman was that desperate. "I agreed to it, with no intentions of following through. I was hoping to find you and get you out before that." Raizo sighed deeply. "Somehow, she found out and I received a scroll saying that it was too late. With the scroll, was a lock of red and blue hair. My anger flared and I took it out on every Cerulean on the battlefield."

Lily nodded in sorrow at his words. "I remember how angry Lorelei was when I cut my hair. That's where she got my hair from." Raizo sighed in relief. "I will admit, after I received the last scroll, I hoped for the best. I interrogated every Cerulean soldier that was captured, about the princess. They never said a word about you, just about Clove." The young woman eyed her father suspiciously.

"Raizo, did you ever...want my sister dead?" For a few moments Raizo said nothing, but then he nodded. "At one point, I did. I wanted Lorelei to feel the helplessness that comes with losing her daughter. But, as much as I wished for her to feel that, I would not be the one to bring that feeling upon her." The young Queen nodded. She longed to believe and trust him, but more than anything she wanted him to be telling the truth.

"Raizo…" The man in question looked up with hope in his eyes. "I...I can't call you father. Not yet." The man looked down in disappointment. "Nor can I trust you yet, but I will give you a chance." Hope grew in his eyes as he took a deep breath in. "Like I said, I am not a good person, but I do care about you, Regina, Renda, and Reina." Lily nodded at his words.

"I know. Regina told me. She may not trust you nor does she like you very much, but she doesn't deny the fact that you do care. You just don't like to show it." Raizo shook his head. "I have made a lot of enemies. All of whom would love to get back at me. For the sake of those I care about, I can't show it. I messed up when the Vipers attacked the prison. I showed that I worried about Reina. It could've put her in danger."

The young woman held her hand up. "Look, Reina does a good enough job of putting herself in danger. She doesn't need your help with that." Lily chuckled at her own statement and Raizo gave a small smile. "But, she is also more than capable of getting herself out of danger as well. But, how did you know where to go? To get to the abandoned palace?" The man in question sighed. "I found a map in the hallway of the inn where I was staying. I had no idea who it belonged to, but I decided to follow it to see if I could figure it out. I've had a feeling for a while that some of my soldiers are traitors."

Lily nodded, unsure if she wanted to believe him or not. She glanced up at the sky and noticed how high the sun was. "Oh, we need to catch up with the others before they start getting worried." She took off before Raizo could say a word. Shaking his head, he chuckled at her antics.

"Where is she? She should've been back by now." Regina rolled her eyes as Kiren paced worriedly. "Oh my Great Spirits. You are worse than Kyro. And he is bad. I seriously thought he was going to pace a hole in the ground while waiting for you, Clove." Kyro blushed and stuttered while Clove laughed.

"What if she was unable to get out? Or worse, what if she was killed?" Kiren turned towards his companions. "I almost was." The woman in question ran out of the tunnel behind him with Raizo hot on her tail. "RAIZO!" Kyro yelled as his scales lit up around his eyes and Lily stepped in front of her father. "Kyro, calm down. There's a reason he snuck off." The young prince didn't calm down and now Reina, Regina, and Kiren joined him. "Lily? You can't trust a word he says."

"And I don't, Kiren. Not right now, but he's going to try to earn our trust and I want to give him a chance." Reina walked forward and grabbed her friend's hand. "Why!? Lily, just why?" Raizo looked from his daughter to his niece. "Because he's my father."

To say that everyone was shocked would be an understatement. "Lily, you can't be serious." The woman in question nodded at her cousin's words. "I am. And, I've already had one parent break my heart today. I'm willing to give the second one a chance." The younger woman sighed in defeat before walking away. A messenger bird flew down and dropped a scroll in Regina's hands as Princess Clove stepped forward.

"Lily, you said you already had your heart broken by one parent today. What did you mean by that?" Tears appeared in the older sister's eyes. "Our mother is the queen of the Jade Clan and she was responsible for the first attack on you." Clove shook her head as she took a step back. "No, that can't be true."

"Clove, she tried to kill me. It was Raizo who saved my life." The younger sister shook her head once again. "She's using the Relic of Power. Every time she uses its power, it takes a piece of her. If she's been using it for as long as she hinted at, she's probably lost all of soul by now. She's not herself anymore." Clove couldn't bring herself to believe it.

"Uh, I hate to break up this heartbreaking story, but Kyro, two of your generals were just killed by the Vipers." Kyro and Clove glanced at each other in fear. "Which ones?" Regina looked back down at the scroll. "The blond one with the scar on his face and the one with reddish brown hair, and a beard, but no mustache. Verna still hadn't memorized names." Lily suddenly gasped in realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think Lily realized? Let me know what you think. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	32. The News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Princess Clove gets the answers she's been seeking and Prince Kyro receives a scroll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! Here's and early Christmas gift for everyone. I would love to give a big thank you to INEEDSUBZERO for commenting. Another big thank you goes out to two guests for leaving kudos. A huge thank you goes out to everyone for 2214 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Until next Thursday.

"What? What's wrong?" She turned to look at her father. "I told Lorelei that we knew about her inside man and she said that he'd have to disappear. At the time, I...I thought she was talking about you, Raizo. But, she wasn't. We were so focused on finding evidence against Raizo, that we let the real villains slip through our fingers." Reina turned to look at her cousin. "That's why it was so easy for those bombs to go missing. No one would've questioned the generals going into the supply building."

Kiren looked over to his wife. "Lily, how do we destroy the Relic of Power?" The woman in question shook her head before the scales lit up around her eyes.

"Water Drop says there should be a list in the Ice Palace that has instructions on how to destroy certain relics. The Relic of Power, could be on that list." Kiren nodded and turned to the others. "Okay, Clove, you and Lily go and get that list, the rest of us will investigate the death of the two generals." The two sisters nodded along with the others.

"Okay, Clove. I think it might be best if you head up there while I stand guard down here." The younger woman nodded at the older one's words. "Good idea." She turned to leave, when Lily grabbed her arm. "Also, Clove...please check the guests rooms while you're there. You might find the answer to your illness in one of them." The woman in question tilted her head in confusion. "The guests rooms of an element palace change with the element queen. The best example I can think of is each time I was pregnant, one of the rooms in the Water Palace turned into a nursery. Or when Reina fell ill with the common cold, a scroll appeared in one of her rooms telling her so." Clove nodded and shifted into her dragon before flying off. Lily marveled at how well Snowflake blended in with the snowy landscape.

The Ice Queen shifted back and landed on the balcony of the main bedroom before shoving the doors open and stepping inside. Her ice dress blowing in the sharp mountain wind.

She gasped at the beauty of the room. Everything was made of ice. A large canopy bed sat several feet away from the balcony, with glittering, transparent white cloth hanging down from the top. A chest sat at the end of the bed and an armoire was pressed up against the opposite wall. Two tables sat on each side of the bed and a large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling completing the look.

"In the back of the armoire you'll find what you're looking for." Snowflake's voices spoke in her vessel's mind as the young woman followed her advice. Like the white dragon said, an old scroll laid in the back of the armoire. The list included several relics many of which were crossed off, Clove guessed those relics had already been destroyed. But, there was one relic that was not on it. "Okay, so the Relic of Power isn't on the list. Good to know. Now, to search the other rooms." The young redhead rolled her eyes and walked out of her bedroom just as Snowflake spoke. "The door with the small snowflake. That room holds the answers you seek."

"I trust you." Clove whispered as she opened the door. Her jaw dropped when she saw the interior. The room held little furniture, but it was enough for Clove to know exactly what was going on.

On the far wall, was a door that led to a balcony, next to the balcony door, was a small wardrobe and on the other side of the door was a small chest. A glittering, white cloth, that hung from the ceiling, a few feet away from the hallway door, was surrounding a partially hidden cradle on a slightly raised platform. And near the wall opposite of the crib was a rocking chair.

Clove pressed her hands to her stomach, for the first time, she realized exactly what was at stake. 'Pregnant. My baby. Kyro's child.' It all made sense now. The nausea, the dizziness, the stomach pains, the pieces were falling into place. Tears of joy and fear sprang to her eyes as she thought about what Kyro would say to the news. She hoped he would be happy, but what would their enemies do.

A bright smile was appearing on the young princess' face when Snowflake's fearful voice rang out. "Clove, get out! Get out now!" And the young woman ran. But, no fast enough.

Lorelei, who stood outside the Ice Palace, smiled brightly when her daughter emerged. Clove's first instinct was to hug her mother, but her sister's words held her back. "Mother."

"Hello, darling. You have to listen to me. I'm here to save you." Lorelei took a step forward and Clove stepped back. "Save me? From what?" It was then that the younger woman noticed a spike of ice behind Lorelei. 'A sign of danger.'

"From Prince Kyro." The Jade Queen took another step forward. "I know how he treats you. What he does. And it's only going to get worse when he finds out about the baby." Clove wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively. "How did you…" Lorelei laughed. "That's not important right now, darling." The older woman turned around. "How do you think he'll reach when he finds out about it?"

In a moment of panic and desperation to protect her child, Clove blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "I'm more concerned about what he'll do when he finds out the baby's not his." Lorelei spun around at her daughter's words. "Who's…"

"That's not important right now, but it's not a Crimson in any way." The ice spike stayed where it was. 'Odd. For some reason, Lorelei doesn't care about your daughter.' Clove nearly sighed in relief at Snowflake's words. "That means, you're not safe. Come with me. I can protect you." The young princess shook her head. "No, they'd all suspect you and they would attack. No, I'll go back and sneak out during the night." Lorelei smiled and nodded. "Good idea. Now go, hurry."

Clove nodded before shifting and flying off. Lorelei's smile turned sinister. "If Prince Kyro let's you live long enough to see the night." One of her soldiers ran up behind her. "You're Majesty. The messenger bird has been sent out." The Jade Queen chuckled. "Good. Very good."

Princess Clove shifted back into her human form when she spotted her sister. "Lily, I've made a huge mistake, now I have to get back and tell Kyro the truth before our mother can use this against us." Lily could hardly keep up with her little sister's fast words, but she could keep up enough. "Okay, go. I'll catch up with you." Clove once again shifted and flew off.

Prince Kyro was standing on the balcony of his room when an eagle flew into the room, dropped a scroll on the bed and flew out. Raising an eyebrow, the young prince walked over to read the message. His anger rose as he read the words.

Prince Kyro,

Princess Clove is with child, but it's not yours.

A friend.

His scales lit up around his eyes as his anger flared. All of the pieces finally fell into place. 'That little snake. How dare she?' He thought as he looked down at Clove's hairpin which was sitting on the bedside table. The young prince walked over and picked it up with a sigh. "She will pay for this." He muttered before he heard the door open behind him and he placed the hairpin back on the table.

"Kyro, I need to tell you something important…" Clove froze when she saw her husband. He was standing with his back to the door, a scroll in one hand, the other was clenched in anger. "Kyro?" He turned his head slightly. "Is it true, Princess?" The young prince turned around completely to face her, tossing the scroll onto the bed as he did. "Are you pregnant?" His face was soft, however the scales around his eyes were glowing in anger.

"Yes, I am." He started walking towards her. "I just found out not, half an hour ago. It's completely new to me...but...I...Kyro?" He kept walking towards her, his eyes never changing nor leaving her face. Clove started backing up, however Kyro didn't stop. Not until Clove's back hit the wall and he was an inch away from her. Fear shot through her as she gazed into his angered eyes.

"Kyro? Please listen to me. I had no choice but to…" She stopped talking when Kyro placed his hand on the back of her neck. "Well, that answers my question." Kyro's voice was low and unreadable. The glowing scales around his eyes never disappeared and Clove's fear grew. She wanted to look around for the ice spike but the young princess found that she couldn't take her eyes off of his. She pressed herself up against the wall even more. "Kyro, please let me explain." He tilted his head slightly. "I have no idea what you were told, but please believe me when I say that I...mmph."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think happened? Let me know what you all think. I'm sorry that this chapter was hurried along, I was so busy with the holidays and I wasn't feeling well at all this week. But, I promise that the next chapter will be less hurried. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.


	33. Preparing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lorelei consults with Relic of Power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE EVERYONE! I can't believe this is the last chapter of the year. Where has the time gone? Okay, time for shout outs. A thank you goes out to Helele, INEEDSUBZERO, and littledahlia for commenting. And thank you to two guests for leaving kudos. And as always a big thank you goes out to everyone for 2289 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

"Well, that answers my question." Kyro's voice was low and unreadable. The glowing scales around his eyes never disappeared and Clove's fear grew. She wanted to look around for the ice spike but the young princess found that she couldn't take her eyes off of his. She pressed herself up against the wall more. "Kyro, please let me explain." He tilted his head slightly. "I have no idea what you were told, but please believe me when I say that I...mmph."

Kyro pressed his lips to hers before wrapping an arm around her waist, to pull her closer. "Kyro?" Clove whispered hesitantly when he pulled away. "I could never have asked for better news." He kissed her again, this time, she relaxed and wrapped her arms around him. 

"Clove, what happened? You seemed afraid." The glow around his eyes dimmed significantly and Kyro could've slapped himself. He hadn't realized that his anger had been evident on his face. 'How long was I doing that? No wonder she was afraid.' He thought with guilt.

"I was afraid you'd be angry…" The young prince took several steps back. "Oh, I'm furious." Then he placed his hands on her shoulders. "But, not at you. Never at you." He then walked over to the bed and picked up the scroll. "I'm furious at the person who sent this scroll, at the people who are trying to turn me against you. And I'm pretty sure I know who sent it." He handed her the scroll.

Clove's anger flared at the words written. Someone was trying to turn her husband against her, and both prince and princess had a good idea who it was. "I had to lie to my mother. I...I told her that our child wasn't yours, but I had no choice." Clove pressed her hand to her stomach. "For her sake, I had to." Kyro tilted his head in confusion. "Her sake?"

The young princess nodded before realizing that he didn't know what she knew. "Yes, our...Snowflake confirmed it for me. For the sake of our daughter, I had to lie." Kyro's eyes widened at his wife's words. He suddenly imagined himself holding a tiny baby girl who was the spitting image of her mother. More than anything, Kyro hoped their daughter looked like Clove.

The woman in question looked down in sorrow. She knew that this was probably not what the elders or Kyro had wanted. "I'm sorry, Kyro. I know the elders most likely wanted a male heir and you probably wanted a son as well, but...I…" The man in question stepped forward to hug his wife. When he pulled away, he gently placed his hand on her stomach with a smile. "I honestly don't care whether we're having a son or daughter. I only care about three things. That our child is alive, healthy, and looks like you."

Clove laughed at his answer. "I suppose we have to tell the others." Her husband nodded. "I know my mother will be thrilled." The two laughed before embracing once more.

"Are they dead yet?" Lorelei turned to look at the guard behind her. "The two generals are, but we have no word on the Princess." The Jade Queen turned to look at her soldier. "Then get men inside." The soldier stepped forward. "We can't, You're Majesty. The Mixtures have cracked down on our men since the death of the generals. Twenty-seven of our men have been arrested and another ten are being hunted down…AAAHHH!"

Lorelei threw a dagger, striking the young soldier in the neck. "Then we move now." She looked around the throne room before turning towards the door. "DAYLEN!" Another masked man entered the room. "Yes, my Queen?"

"Get the troops ready. All of them. We attack at dawn." She turned to leave as Daylen bowed. "Yes, my Queen." He turned to leave, when Lorelei called out to him. "Oh, and one more thing, Daylen. I am giving you the order of killing the Fire Queen." The man in question hesitated before nodding and Lorelei left the room.

She stormed over to her personal chambers, where the crystal ball sat on a pedestal. The Jade Queen walked over and tapped the glassy surface with her finger. The image of a red dragon with blue horns appeared. "Yes, Lorelei?" The woman in question inhaled sharply. "Is she dead yet?" The red dragon smirked. "I know how you wanted it to end…"

"You could not possibly know what I wanted." The dragon smirked again before disappearing and two transparent figures appeared in the room. One was Prince Kyro and the other was Princess Clove.

"I trusted you, Clove!" Kyro yelled as Clove tried to plead with him. "Kyro, please just listen to me…" The Crimson Prince grabbed her roughly by the arm and she cried out in pain. "WHY SHOULD I!? After all, you lied to me. I loved you, Clove. And you did this to me." He yanked her closer before throwing her down. "Who's the father?" The young woman looked up at her husband in confusion as she stood up. "What?" Kyro pulled something out of a small bag on his belt before turning back to face her.

"WHO'S THE FATHER!? Is it that precious lieutenant of yours? Is the brat his?" Clove grabbed his upper arm in a pleading manner. "Kyro, please, listen to me. The child is yours." The Crimson Prince scoffed and shoved her away, causing her to trip and fall to the ground once more. "Kyro, I'm begging you to please believe me." The man in question knelt down next to his wife and roughly took her chin in his hand. "You can plead all you want. It doesn't change anything."

With that, Prince Kyro thrusted a dagger into Princess Clove's stomach and Lorelei flinched. The princess cried out, clutching her stomach and the two figures disappeared.

"Is that how you imagined it, or would you prefer something more gruesome, more violent?" Lorelei slammed her fist down on a nearby table. "ENOUGH! Enough." The red dragon chuckled. "That's exactly how you wanted it to end. And yet, you knew from the beginning that your plan was going to fail." The Jade Queen shook her head. "Stop it."

"You knew that Kyro wouldn't have the guts to lay a single finger with a harmful intent on her. That's why you went with this plan." Lorelei shook her head and the red dragon smiled before disappearing once more. Just like last time, the two transparent figures of Kyro and Clove appeared next to Lorelei. This time, both were sitting at a table and Kyro was gazing lovingly at her. "Even now, despite your manipulation attempt, Prince Kyro feels nothing but unconditional love for her and his unborn child." Lorelei shook her head in disbelief and Kyro wrapped his arm around his wife. "I'll just find another person to finish the job." The two figures disappeared and the red dragon reappeared.

"You know as well as I do, that you are the only one with the power to destroy the element Queens." Lorelei looked up at the crystal ball in horror. "You cannot ask such a thing of me."

"I ask nothing of you. I'm only telling you the truth. The three queens are all on edge and their power has grown tremendously. Only one can defeat them in battle and that is the one who possesses the power of my relic." The Jade Queen stepped back. "No. I am certain that Clove would not last a second in a fight against Prince Kyro." The red dragon chuckled. "That is partially true. When it comes to physical strength, Kyro excels, but when it comes to power, Clove has the upper hand. She could freeze him before he could even have a chance to scream." Lorelei didn't respond.

"Remember, our deal. You remove the threats for me or at least two of them and I remove the Crimsons for you." The redheaded woman shook her head in defeat. "I can take out the Fire Queen and Daylen can take out one of the other Queens." She turned to leave when the red dragon laughed.

"You don't have the guts to kill one of your daughters yourself. That's why you sent the assassins to go after Clove and why you wanted Kyro to kill her. And why you had the archer and Daylen try to take out Lily." Lorelei inhaled sharply before spinning around. "I can and I will. I just need more power." She stormed over and placed her hand on the crystal ball. It instantly started glowing as pain shot through the Jade Queen. She cried out before falling to the floor when the ball stopped glowing. She could feel the power burning through her veins, it always hurt, but it was worth it. But, this time, something felt different. Her head felt lighter and she found that she couldn't think as well as she had just been able to.

But, none of that mattered. What mattered was that she was going to finish what her ancestors had started. The Crimsons would fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think will happen? Let me know what you all think. You really didn't think I'd sink everyone's favorite ship, did you? I know some might have. Anyway, I hope everyone has a great week and a safe New Years eve and day. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	34. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyro and Clove are called to the dragon realm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. I do have to apologize for not updating since last year. Lol. Anyway, thank you to two guests for leaving kudos and a big thank you goes out to everyone for 2362 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

"You need to rest, Princess." Clove rolled her eyes at her husband's worried statement. "Kyro, I'm fine. I've been through far worse than just telling the family and friends about the baby." The young prince smiled as he remembered the excitement from their traveling party as well as his mother. But, then he frowned as he remembered the anger of Lord Arkos. Clove's uncle was in no way happy about the news.

"Kyro?" Clove placed her hands on Kyro's upper arms, snapping his attention back to her. "There's nothing to worry about." The man in question frowned. "Oh, Clove." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "There is so much to worry about." The young princess nodded. "I know. But, for now, there isn't." She wrapped her arms around him.

"Everything will be alright in the end. I promise." Kyro pulled her in closer. Now that the excitement of the news had worn off, the weight of all he had to lose was now crashing down on the young prince. He was going to be a father, he was going to have a child with the woman he loved. And in one second, it could all be lost. That thought scared Kyro more than anything else ever had, especially when he remembered his dreams.

Kyro bent down to lift Clove up. "You need to rest, Princess." She rolled her eyes, but didn't complain, it would be useless to do so. He walked over to the bed and laid her down before pulling the sheets up to her neck. "Kyro?" Clove asked as he kissed her forehead. "Yes, Princess?" The woman in question fiddled with the sheets before working up the courage to finish her question. "What...what do you think we should name her?"

The young prince froze at her question. It made reality seem all the more real, still the Crimson Prince smiled as he gazed into Clove's sapphire eyes. "I like the name Sapphire." The young princess smiled brightly at his answer. Kyro walked around to slide into the bed next to her. "I love it." The young prince reached out to pull her closer. "I promise that I will protect both you and Sapphire."

"Kyro, you don't have to promise anything. I trust you and...I love you." Clove wrapped her arms around him as she drifted off to sleep. Kyro smiled and kissed her forehead before drifting off as well.

The royal couple were jolted from sleep by the sound of someone sighing heavily in relief. Instantly the two realized that they were in the dragon's realm.

"I'm just saying, it's about time they figured it out." Red Flame said, he was facing away from the young couple. "We've been dropping hints like crazy and it has been two months. I mean, shouldn't your vessel have noticed that something was off." Kyro and Clove looked at each other before Kyro stepped forward to speak. But, a gentle, angelic voice cut him off. "Yes dear, but Clove was so worried about her clans that she didn't have time to notice such things. Besides, they are just humans. They don't have the same sense as we do." Snowflake laid down in the snow as she spoke.

Red rolled his eyes. "Well, if you ask me, humans are just plain stupid." Snowflake chuckled and shook her head. "Well, what does that say about you, Red Flame? After all, you bound yourself to a countless number of them." Red Flame looked over at the white dragon. "Yes, but I had a reason to do so." Snowflake chuckled once more. "Uh, mom? Kyro and Clove have finally arrived." The royal couple spun around and stood in shock at the sight before them.

The dragon behind them was slightly smaller than the two solid colored dragons and was mostly white with a red belly, claws, horns, and fur. "Welcome back, you two." Snowflake stood up and approached the royal couple. "Snowflake, is something wrong? Is that why you called us here?" Red Flame stood up and shook his head. "No, we thought you might want to meet your future daughter's dragon."

Kyro and Clove turned to look at the red and white dragon as Red Flame and Snowflake walked over to stand next to her. "This is our eldest child and daughter, Snow Flame." Both humans stood in shock. "I didn't know you two had a child." Snowflake nodded and smiled. "Six actually."

"Six!?" Red Flame nodded at his vessel's shocked words. "The others are currently back in the cave. Ember is watching them." Kyro looked up at his dragon. He would have never, in a million years, guessed that Red was a father. Then again, with everything that's happened in the last several days, Kyro shouldn't be surprised. He looked over at Clove who was watching Snowflake and Snow Flame curiously.

"I honestly can't wait to finally have a vessel." The excitement was thick in Snow Flame's voice. "Snowflake?" The dragon in question turned to look at her vessel as Clove pressed a hand to her stomach. "Why...what threat does Sapphire pose to my mother?" Snowflake sighed, but it was Red Flame who answered. "She poses the same threat that Ruby, Clover, Seraphina, and Pearl pose. Lorelei doesn't want a half blood child in her family line. She thinks Crimson blood will ruin her bloodline."

Kyro's brow furrowed at Red's statement. "I have nothing against Lily, but if Lorelei doesn't want Crimson blood in her bloodline, then why did she have Lily. Who has Crimson blood in her." The young prince hesitantly looked over at his wife, hoping that she wasn't glaring at him. Which she, thankfully, wasn't. "Lily is what led her to not want Crimson blood in the future generations." The young woman tilted her head in confusion.

"When Lily was born, she was born without the mark of a dragon since she's the Water Queen. Lorelei blamed the crimson blood in Raizo. But, what Lorelei really wants to do is to rescue Clove." The young princess looked at her dragon in confusion. "Rescue me? From what?" All three dragons turned to look at Prince Kyro. "Wait, what? Why would Clove need rescuing from me? I would never hurt her."

"We know that. But, Lorelei has convinced herself that you do hurt Clove. It's one of the ways she justifies her actions." The young prince growled at the answer and Snowflake turned towards her vessel. "Lorelei wants to wipe out all Crimsons. Including those with Crimson blood in them. Sapphire is on that list." Kyro and Clove looked at each other worriedly. They were now even more concerned about their unborn daughter. "I think we have answered all we can." Both Snowflake and Red Flame began glowing.

Kyro shot up, he was back in his room. His anger at Lorelei flared. He would never hurt Clove, he would never even consider it. A small hand on his upper arm shook the young prince out of his thoughts. Clove was looking up at him with sadness and fear in her eyes. Leaning in, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Kyro, I know that you would never hurt us and nothing my mother says can make that fact untrue."

The young prince wrapped his arm around her. "I love you, Princess." He kissed her forehead as someone knocked on the door and Reina bursted in. "I'm sorry to bother you two, but we just received word that the Jade Vipers are moving into attack position and they're heading for us. Lorelei is using her powers to shield them. Clove, we need every element queen." Clove nodded and jumped up, followed by Kyro. "You know I'm going too."

Reina nodded before heading for the door. "Meet us out by the training grounds when you're ready." She closed the door behind and Kyro turned to look at his wife. "Clove, Lily mentioned you having armor in the Ice Palace." The woman in question shook her head. "I already grabbed some before I left the first time." The young prince tilted his head in confusion. "I didn't see any armor when you came back."

Clove reached up and grabbed the snowflake on her necklace, before yanking it down. A flurry of snowflakes instantly surrounded her. It only took a second for it to disperse and Kyro was left breathless at the sight of his princess.

Her full-bodied armor was solid ice with carvings that looked like scales. Unlike the rest of her armor, her helmet was perfectly smooth, with three large spikes just above her forehead. It curved around the back of her head to hide her hair and the sides curved around her cheeks to protect the sides of her face. In her hand was a sword of solid ice with a spiked blade. 

"Kyro? Are you alright?" The man in question nodded, his jaw was still slacked. "Yeah, I'm fine." Clove nodded and her sword turned back into a flurry of snowflakes along with her armor to reveal her ice dress. She quickly placed the snowflake in her palm back onto her necklace. "But, Clove…" He walked over and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I, unfortunately, know that you have to fight, but promise me that you will be careful." Looking directly into his eyes, Clove nodded. "I promise. I'll be as careful as I can be. For the sake of both you…" She pressed a hand to her stomach. "And her." Kyro nodded and embraced her.

"They'll be here soon!" Reina called out as she ran up to her King and Queen. Her stomach flipped when she spotted Aaron. "Good. We'll explain the plan again once they arrive." They had already told the plan to their soldiers. "Well, I have a feeling that Clove will disagree with this plan, just like I do." Lord Arkos sneered, but his statement was met with eye rolls. "I have a feeling I will agree with it." The two people in question walked up to the small group.

"Okay, so the plan is our soldiers will wait in the tall grass and on the mountain cliff for the Jade Vipers, then they will attack and try to capture as many as they can. We elements, plus one backup person each, will sneak into the abandoned palace and destroy the Relic of Power. If something goes wrong, Our soldiers will retreat into the underground tunnels before coming back to town. We will each hide out in our own palaces until the coast is clear."

Kyro and Clove looked at each other before nodding. "Also, we elements will have to split from our dragons, that way the Vipers will think we're on the battlefield. Now, we need three volunteers to go with each element as backup." Kyro, Kiren, and Aaron stepped up before Lily had even finished her sentence. Kyro stepped up next to Clove, much to Lord Arkos' dismay, Kiren stepped up next to Lily, to no one's surprise, and Aaron stepped up next to Reina, much to everyone's surprise. "Okay, then. Our soldiers are already on the move, but we still have a few minutes before we have to. We'll be using the underground tunnels. It'll be quicker."

The small group nodded before wandering around to talk to the others. Lord Arkos approached his niece. "Clove, you know that you can tell me anything, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you Lord Arkos is going to ask Clove? Let me know what you all think. Have a great week everyone. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.


	35. The Tunnels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three element queens and their escorts, walk beneath the battle in the underground tunnels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. But first, shout outs. Thank you to BttmBakuTonyLover for bookmarking this story and thank you to 3 guests for leaving kudos. A huge thank you goes out to Emerald aka Vermillion2005 for not only commenting and leaving kudos, but also for asking for my help. I was extremely honored to help you. I highly recommend that you check out their story, Dragon's War, on Wattpad. Thank you again Vermillion2005.  
> And a big thank you goes out to everyone for 2461 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

The woman in question nodded in confusion. "Then, you know that you can tell what Kyro is really doing, right?" The young woman didn't say anything, she merely tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean, uncle?" Lord Arkos sighed in frustration.

"Be honest with me, Clove. Prince Kyro, does he hurt you?" Clove took a step back, horror written on her face. "You know you can tell me. I promise I will…" The young princess held up her hand, her anger flaring. "Look uncle, I know you're not going to believe this, but Kyro has never once hurt me. Whoever told you that he has, is lying. And I'm not just saying that for the sake of peace or for Sapphire's sake…"

"Sapphire? Is that what you're calling it? Has Prince Kyro not demanded a name yet?" Princess Clove glared at her uncle. "For your information, uncle. I asked Kyro what we should name her and while he did say he liked the name Sapphire, he did not demand her name be that." Lord Arkos was taken back at her words. "There's no way the Crimson Prince would choose a name like Sapphire. Clove, listen...I know that you want to keep the peace, but if he is hurting you then that goes against the treaty."

The young princess growled in frustration. "He hasn't hurt me. He would never hurt me. I have no way to prove that, but I wish you could see that, uncle. I know you don't trust him, but please trust me." Lord Arkos shook his head. "I do trust you, Clove. But, I also know you and I know that you would say anything to prevent another war." The young woman stepped forward. "I'm not just saying this to prevent another war...What can I do to prove to you that Kyro doesn't harm me?"

The man in question shook his head. "I will never believe that he truly has your best interests in mind. Clove, before you try and convince me otherwise, just answer this one question." The woman in question tilted her head. "Was this baby your decision?" Tears welled in her eyes as she thought about the question. "I know what you want me to say uncle. But, I am not my mother. I love my daughter more than anything else and I know that Kyro does too. He would never hurt us." Clove opened her mouth to say more, but Lily's determined voice rang out. "Alright elements, let's head out."

The underground tunnels were narrow and damp, the ground was uneven and rocky. The group could only walk single filedly. Every now and then, someone would trip, but never fall. Clove couldn't help but smile every time she tripped, because Kyro would reach out to help steady her. Kiren did the same thing for Lily and Aaron did the same thing for Reina.

"Come on, this way." Kyro shook his head. "I have no idea how you can tell where we're going." The Mixtures chuckled. "Considering three of us practically lived in these tunnels during the rebellion. Plus, we still use these tunnels to transport goods and prisoners." Clove looked back at Kyro, who shrugged before realizing something.

"Lily, you said that at one time, your prison collapsed. Was it the work of Jade Vipers?" The woman in question shook her head. "Our prison is old. The caves were around before the Mixture Clan was founded. That part of the prison only had three prisoners in it when it collapsed. Two survived, Daylen escaped. We fixed up the rest after the collapse."

Reina sighed in sorrow. "In all the years the Mixture Clan has been around, we've never had a prisoner escape nor anyone break in." Aaron turned around to look at Clove in disbelief and she turned to look at Kyro the same way.

The roof suddenly shook and the outsiders gasped in fear. "The battle is on. The Vipers will soon lose." Kyro placed his hand on Clove's shoulder. "How are you not bothered by this? Aren't you afraid these tunnels will collapse?" Kiren rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Try sleeping during this. No, we have people check these tunnels every month, if somethings wrong, we have them fixed." Clove raised an eyebrow at his answer. She was extremely impressed.

"We climb out up here. The caves to the abandoned palace are right above us." Lily grabbed onto the ladder and hoisted herself up. Everyone had a bad feeling as they eyed the cave entrance, open wide like the mouth of a monster. Each familiar flew down to sit on their elements' shoulder. "Are we certain that the Relic of Power is still in the abandoned palace?"

Lily and Kiren nodded at Kyro's question. "Tulip confirmed that Lorelei is still there. The Relic of Power won't be far away." Clove looked down as they entered the cave. "How do you know she won't send the relic away for safekeeping?" Reina shook her head as she walked forward. "The further away she is from the relic, the less power she will get from it. Hopefully, none of you are scared of fighting magic."

The outsiders looked at each other, but no one said anything. Walking further, it wasn't long before the group heard voices. Peering around the corner, Reina spotted two Jade Vipers. Turning to her companions, she smiled. "I have an idea." Both Kiren and Lily nodded and the young woman jogged up behind the guards.

A few minutes later, their pained grunts could be heard along with the sound of their weapons hitting the ground. "Guys, I need some help." Aaron went running before anyone else could move. The two drug the unconscious guards over and Reina pulled off the mask of hers. "Two of the guys can go undercover. In case something goes wrong." Clove glanced back at Kyro and smiled brightly. The man in question rolled his eyes, but stepped forward. He couldn't say no to Clove, especially when her eyes met his. "I volunteer the lieutenant as well."

Aaron shot a look at Kyro. "Why me?" Kyro glared back at the Cerulean Lieutenant. "Because, if I die while playing dress up, I'm dragging you with me." Clove elbowed her husband while Aaron shrugged. "Not if I drag you down first." The Crimson Prince spun around and the Cerulean Princess stepped between them.

"Alright. Knock it off you two. We don't need to fight amongst ourselves." The two men took their disguises, but didn't put them on yet. "Let's quickly tie these men up, also you two will need hideable weapons." Aaron nodded and pulled a small dagger out of his boot. "And I have one in the other boot." Kiren nodded and turned to look at his younger brother. 

"I just have your old dagger, Kiren." The man in question looked at Kyro in confusion. "My dagger." The young prince nodded and pulled out the red handled dagger. Kiren tilted his head and looked over at his wife, who shook her head. "That's not Kiren's dagger." The young man eyed her. "How would you know?"

Lily reached into the small bag on her belt and pulled out a dagger that looked exactly like the one Kyro was holding. "Because I have Kiren's dagger. He gave it to me after I was exiled from the Cerulean Clan." The Crimson Prince looked back and forth between the two daggers.

"Kyro, where did you get that one?" The man in question looked up with a glare in his eyes. "Raizo. He gave me this one when he first relayed the news of your death." Sadness grew in Lily's eyes. "Kyro, let me see that." He handed her the dagger and the scales lit up around her eyes. "Well, if this is a relic, it's not active right now. I'd be cautious about it if I were you." She handed it back to her brother-in-law, who nodded.

"Okay, let's keep going." The group nodded and headed forward. "Lily?" The woman in question turned to look at her sister. "What exactly is the cost for using the Relic of Power? I mean, what exactly will it do to our mother?" The Mixture Queen inhaled deeply. "First it will take pieces of her soul, then it will move on to her mind, then her life." Kyro looked over at Clove sympathy.

"Is there any way to save her?" Lily shook her head. "I honestly don't know. This specific relic was almost unheard of, until Lorelei started using it. Then most of the rumors started. But, there were rumors of it existing before then, but there was nothing solid to stabilize them. We know little to nothing about it." Kyro sighed in frustration. "There has to be some way to destroy it." Kiren nodded. "If it's crystal then it'll be extremely fragile. Smashing it might work." The young prince looked over at his wife before leaning over to whisper in her ear. "Princess, promise me, that you'll be careful." Clove nodded and smiled. "I promise, Kyro. I'll be as careful as I can be."

The young prince frowned at her answer before stepping in front of her and placing his hands on her shoulders, causing them both to stop walking. "No, Clove, promise me that you'll make it out alive. That no matter what happens, you'll be alright." The young princess shook her head as tears welled in her eyes. "I can't, Kyro. I wish I could promise you that, but I can't."

Kyro stepped forward to embrace the redheaded woman, who instantly hugged him back. "Please Clove. You have to be alright. I can't lose you. Either of you." A tear slipped down Clove's cheek at his confession. 

“Clove, please...” The woman in question shook her head and pulled away. "I would if I could. You know that if I had a choice, I would wait, but I don't. We don't have the time to wait. The best way we can guarantee Sapphire's safety is by destroying the Relic of Power and stopping the Jade Vipers." Clove lowered her eyes, she couldn't look at Kyro as she spoke her next words. "And my mother."

Kyro placed his fingers under Clove's chin, gently lifting her head. "Clove, you are not your mother and she does not define you." The young princess opened her mouth to speak, but Lily cut her off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think will happen? let me know what you think. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	36. Sneaking In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The element queens sneak into the Jade Viper's stronghold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, bad news. I may not be able to update this Thursday because my computer is acting up and it may not work then. So, here's an early update just in case. Shout outs. Thank you to a guest for leaving kudos and thank you to Vermillion2005 for commenting. And thank you to everyone for 2524 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

"Hey, come on you two." The royal couple looked at each other once more before joining the others at the end of the tunnel.

"Okay, Kyro, Aaron, I think you two should go first and lead the others away." Both men looked over at Kiren. "And how are we supposed to do that?" Reina turned to look at Aaron. "You're smart, pretty boy. You'll think of something." Lily couldn't help but chuckle at her cousin's words. "Tell everyone that you saw Mixture soldiers and lead them in the opposite direction." Kyro nodded at Clove's suggestion. "That's not a bad idea." He then looked over at the Cerulean Lieutenant, who shrugged. "Let's go."

"They are good. I can't tell which ones are them." Clove muttered as they watched the Jade Vipers run off in search of the nonexistent Mixture soldiers. "Alright, elements, let's go. Kiren, stay here. We may need a distraction in order to get out." The Mixture King nodded. "Be careful, Water Lily." The woman in question smiled at hearing Kiren's nickname for her. "I will. I promise."

The three elements jumped out of the cave and landed behind several frozen rocks. Lily let out a breath before carefully walking down the hidden path. "It's peculiar that there are no other guards." Clove whispered and Reina chuckled. "Lucky for us. It makes our job so much easier." Lily was less amused. "It's not smart on Lorelei's part. She's moved all of her soldiers to the front lines and the rest have been lured away by Kyro and Aaron." She looked up as her brain worked.

Reina could practically see the wheels in Lily's head turning. "What are you thinking, Lils?" The woman in question turned around to glance at her cousin and sister. "I'm thinking the Relic of Power has started taking pieces of her mind." Tears welled in Clove's eyes. "Lily, is there any way to save her?" The Water Queen shook her head. "I honestly don't know, Clove. If there's any truth to the rumors then, destroying the relic will kill whomever is using its power."

A tear slipped down Clove's cheek at Lily's words. "But, remember, it's just a rumor for now. I do have an idea on how to destroy the relic." The two other women looked to her expectantly.

"The Relic of Power is just a crystal ball, therefore it should be extremely fragile. But, just in case, Clove, I want you to freeze it before one of us tries to smash it. The ice will weaken it." The woman in question could tell Lily was hesitant about her answer. It was almost as if she didn't want to ask Clove to help out and in honest truth, she didn't.

Unlike Lily, who was indifferent to the idea, Clove had nothing, but good memories with their mother and didn't want to harm her in any way. Lily, on the other hand, would try to avoid hurting Lorelei, but if push came to shove, she wouldn't hesitate to strike. 

"We might want to distract Lorelei, so Clove can sneak to freeze and smash the relic." Reina nearly tripped over a rock as she walked. "Good idea." Both women looked over at Clove in shock. "As much as I love my mother, I love my daughter even more." Lily nodded in understanding. She knew exactly how her little sister felt.

"Okay ladies, we'll use these crates to hide us until we get inside." A gasp behind them pulled the attention of the two sisters' away from the palace. Reina had opened up one of the state's and was reaching inside. She pulled out a bomb. "This crate is full of them and I can only guess what's in the other ones." Lily inhaled deeply. "They were planning something big, but what?" She grabbed her chin as she thought about the different possibilities. "We can use these to get either in or out." The Water Queen nodded. "Grab one you two. They might come in handy." 

Placing two fingers in her mouth, Lily let out a sharp whistle and the three familiars came flying in. "They can hold onto these for now and give them to us when we need them." Clove couldn't help but smile at the sight of her familiar. Glancing up, Reina spotted Raizo's falcon circling overhead and she frowned, Lily however, smiled. "Why are you so happy to see that falcon, Lils?" The woman in question looked over at her cousin in confusion. "She's my protector. I'm always happy to see her."

Reina's eyes widened at Lily's words. "She's your protector." The woman in question nodded and Clove looked at the two of them in confusion. "We have protectors?" Both women looked at her in shock before looking at each other. "Did...we not tell you about protectors?" The young redhead shook her head as the three started walking once more. "A protector is a living creature that's connected to the parent we elements get our powers from. For you Clove, it's Zephyr, for Reina it's Regina, and for me, it's Daisy."

Reina raised an eyebrow at Lily's words. "Daisy?" The woman in question nodded and ducked around a stack of crates. "So, Raizo is the one who consumed the eternal waterdrop." Lily nodded again. "How did he even get it?" The older woman shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea. Red Flame said he hid the eternal water drop and snowflake in the Cerulean Clan and the eternal ember in the Crimson Clan. But, after three hundred years, who knows where they'd end up. The eternal water drop would've blended in with normal water. He would've never known that he consumed it."

Clove looked over at Reina and wondered which of her parents her powers came from. "So, I get my powers from my mother." Lily nodded before ducking behind the last stack of crates. "Okay, we'll need to sneak around the back into a secret entrance." The Fire Queen rolled her eyes. "She can memorize the layout of an abandoned palace, but she can't memorize a simple dance number." Clove couldn't help but chuckle as they ran to the palace.

"Hey! Memorizing layouts, strategies, and fighting tactics is easy for me." Reina frowned at Lily's choice of words. Clove placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a questioning look. The purple haired woman leaned in to whisper to the redhead. "Raizo once said the exact same thing." The Ice Queen frowned deeply as she looked over at her sister.

It was honestly much easier to spot the similarities between Lily and Raizo now that she knew they were father and daughter. Reina had spotted several of the similarities early on, but she never gave them a second thought and now she was actually making a list. The list was growing longer by the minute and it scared both women.

"Okay, I need help with this." Lily placed her hands on one of the large stones that made up the outer walls of the palace. The other two women placed their hand next to Lily's and pushed. The stone moved in enough that the three elements could squeeze through and was quickly pushed back into place. The secret passage way was pitch black and was freezing cold to two of the three elements. Reina, who was rubbing her hands over her arms, turned around to look at Clove. "I'm going to stick close to you." The other two women laughed at her words and actions.

"For you being the Ice Queen you sure are putting off the heat. Seriously, you're like a walking furnace." More laughter escaped the two women. "And for you being the Fire Queen you sure are freezing." Lily glanced back at her fellow elements. Never in a million years did she think all three elements would be in the same place at the same time.

"This way you two." She ducked around a corner before pressing on the wall. The stone moved slightly so they could peer through at the throne room. Two guards stood in front of the door, Lorelei sat on the frozen throne and the Relic of Power sat on a pedestal next to her. The Jade Queen looked furious as she drummed her fingers on the armrests of the throne. Clove nearly sobbed at the sight of her mother.

“Okay, here’s the plan…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so until I can get my computer fixed, I will be doing a question and answer session. Ask any question and I will answer. Hopefully it doesn't take too long, but I'm not holding my breath. I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter.


	37. The Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The elements battle Queen Lorelei and the Relic of Power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I'm back. I'm sorry for not updating for a while, but my computer couldn't be fixed, I had to get a new one. But, I'm back now so, time for shout outs. Thank you to Kalskirata7567 for bookmarking this story. Thank you to 4 guests and abbyarchie1 for leaving kudos. And thank you to everyone for 2673 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Lorelei drummed her fingers in frustration. She just received word that her army was failing. The Mixture army was three times bigger than she originally thought, meaning her own army didn't stand a chance. 'That doesn't matter. Just so long as someone takes out the element queens. I don't care how many I lose in the process.' One of the guards shifted nervously and Lorelei smirked. They were still afraid of her. 'As they should be.' The Jade Queen thought with a sinister smirk. 

She had hoped the element queens would try to foil her plans, but reports told her that the element dragons were out on the battlefield. 'It's pathetic really. They don't have the guts to face me themselves.' She smirked as she thought about the great element dragons being afraid of her.

"You're Majesty?" A fearful voice asked, causing the Jade Queen to look down at the young soldier kneeling before her. He was from the Viper Clan and hadn't yet earned his mask. "What?" He shifted nervously before licking his lips. "We just received word...The battle is over. We have lost." Lorelei merely waved her hand, a signal for him to leave. He stood, quickly bowed and rushed away. The calmness of his queen scared him more than anything. She hadn't been this calm since she had killed the Viper Clan's king.

'So much for the element queens getting killed by my army.' She looked over at the Relic of Power. 'I need more power.' She reached over to place her hand on the crystal ball.

Suddenly, two blasts of fire and the two guards were dead. Lorelei stood up and took a step forward. However, water suddenly appeared on the floor, causing her to slip and fall away from the Relic of Power. Both the Fire Queen and Water Queen walked out from where they were hiding in the walls. The Jade Queen stood and laughed at the sight of them.

“Only two elements. Where’s your precious Ice Queen?” Reina looked over at Lily who frowned. “My sister wasn’t able to be here. Unlike me, she can’t stand the thought of potentially harming you." Once again, Lorelei laughed. “Looks like I raised one of my daughters right.” The older woman threw her hand out in Reina’s direction and a long, black spike of rock shot out of the ground and nearly hit the young woman. The Fire Queen barely dodged in time, Lily took the opportunity to blast her mother with a powerful stream of water. The minute Lorelei was on the ground, the Water Queen threw several daggers, making sure most of them missed and a few only gave scratches.

Reina dove to the side and released a blast of fire at the Jade Queen, who screamed in agony. Lily had to resist the urge to flinch. Glancing over, the red and blue haired women noticed that the crystal clear Relic of Power wasn’t as clear as it once was. She smiled as Reina finally stopped her fire. Half of Lorelei's face, chest, and her right arm were black, however, fresh skin was already regrowing across the burns.

The Jade Queen laughed as she sent more spikes towards Reina, who kept dodging them. Lily moved towards the Relic of Power, but she didn't get very far before a spike shot past her. Several more guards rushed in and headed for Lily, who promptly took out her water sword and ran towards her mother. Reina stepped in front of the guards and released more of her fire.

The water sword clashed with Lorelei's and the older woman laughed. "You really think you can win? Against me?"

The younger woman scowled at her mother's question. "I don't care if you lose, just so long as the Mixture Clan survives." Lorelei growled and shot a thin black spike at Lily, but it only clipped her shoulder. 'She doesn't want to kill me.' The Mixture Queen thought with confusion as she jumped to dodge her mother's blade. 'Why wouldn't she want to kill me? I'm her biggest threat.' Her sword once again clashed with Lorelei's as tears welled in her eyes.

"Just answer this one question, Lorelei. If you hated me so much...why didn't you...why didn't you give me away?" Tears fell down Lily's face as she sob the question. The woman in question shoved her daughter away and a single tear slipped down her cheek. But, she quickly swiped it away and lunged at the younger woman, who blocked her mother's blow.

"Now, why would I have given up my only tool against the Crimsons?" That was all Lily needed to hear to know the truth. "My father…" Lorelei's eyes flashed as she shoved the Water Queen back. "Was weak. He was weak." She narrowed her eyes as she took a good look at her eldest daughter.

"You've always had too much of him in you." The young woman chuckled at the older woman's words. "Better than having too much of my mother in me." The Jade Queen ran at her daughter who sidestepped the blow. "I can see why you hate me." She sidestepped once more. "After all, I'm just the bastard child you had with a hybrid." Lorelei froze as a sob escaped Lily. "Unwanted and unloved." Another sob escaped the Water Queen. "Your biggest mistake."

For some odd reason, it felt liberating to admit it. For so long Lily had denied it, she had always told herself that deep down her mother loved her. And when she found out about her sister, Lily prayed that Lorelei had loved Clove more. However, admitting the truth felt good, like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

Yet, even now, Lily was praying to every single king, queen, and dragon that came before her, that Lorelei would admit to loving Clove. 

"But, why do you hate Clove so much? I know it has nothing to do with your plan. WHY, mother?" Lorelei straightened and lowered her weapon. "Clove was too weak. She betrayed her people by marrying that Crimson scum and having a child with him. She's just as horrible as you are." Lily narrowed her eyes. "At least we are able to put aside our prides and egos and admit when we're defeated. And that takes more strength than you'll ever know." Lorelei once again rushed at her daughter.

Reina finished with the guards and turned to face the fighting mother and daughter before rushing towards the Relic of Power, but she didn't make it far. Lorelei sensed what she was going to do and threw a dagger at Lily, which missed, but caused the young woman to stumble back. The Jade Queen then turned and sent a spike at Reina, however Lily recovered first. 

"REINA!" Lily dove in front of the spike as it struck just above her heart. "LILY!" Reina screamed, at the same time Lorelei cried out. "LILIAN!" The woman in question stood up clutching her wound as her best friend ran to her side. "I'm alright, Rei." She squared her shoulders and looked her mother dead in the eye. "I'm fine." Lorelei looked down at her hands in horror before shaking her head and laughing sinisterly.

"Did you really think that would work?" Lily shook her head. "No, but that will." The Mixture Queen pointed behind Lorelei and the Jade Queen turned around in time to see Princess Clove shoving the Relic of Power off of its pedestal.

"NNNNOOOO!" Lorelei shouted as the Relic of Power fell to the frozen stone ground. The blast that came when the crystal ball shattered shook the building and sent the four women flying into the walls. Cracks spread over the fragile stones, sending debris falling to the ground shrouding the Jade Queen behind the frozen rock.

Reina was the first one to recover and she reached over to help Clove up. "Oh, thank goodness it's over." The Ice Queen smiled brightly as she nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're in the endgame now. Let me know what you think. Once again, I'm sorry for not updating in while, but life sucks sometimes. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	38. Fire Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is not yet over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. But first, shout outs. Thank you to 2 guests for leaving kudos. Thank you to littledahlia, Vermillion2005, and INEEDSUBZERO for commenting. And a big thank you goes out to everyone for 2733 hits. I really appreciate all of the support. This week especially. Thank you all. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

"I don't think it is." Both women turned to look at the Water Queen and gasped at the sight before them.

A red dragon with blue horns stood in the center of the throne room, his amber eyes drifting over each standing woman until they landed on Clove. With an ear piercing roar, the dragon swiped his tail and sent a spike in her direction. The Ice Queen barely had time to raise a wall of ice to stop the spike.

"CLOVE!" Lily yelled as Reina released a blast of fire. The dragon shot a spike at the Water Queen, clipping her side, before sending four large spikes into the wall, collapsing it. He turned to face the Ice Queen once more and struck at her. She dove to the ground before she could be hit. The dragon dove through the hole in the wall and disappeared. All three elements could hear the Jade Vipers below screaming in fear. 

"Who was that?" Clove cried out as she ran to her sister's side. "Fire Ice. He must have bound both his soul and body to the Relic of Power. Smashing it must have brought him back." Clove looked down in guilt as Reina finally noticed Lily's bleeding wound. "Lily, you're hurt." The woman in question chuckled as she brushed it off. "Tis, but a scratch. I've suffered through worse. But, we need to stop Fire Ice before it's too late." Reina's head shot up as she connected the dots.

"The Relic of Peace. He'll try to destroy it." Lily shook her head as Clove looked at them in confusion. "No, he can't. The Cathedral is two heavily guarded, plus the Great Spirits would never allow anyone to harm it." The young princess still looked confused. "What are you two talking about?" The two women turned to look at the youngest element. "The Relic of Peace. About five years before the great massacre, five dragons met in the center of what is now the Mixture Clan."

Lily took a breath before continuing. "The King of the Cerulean Clan, Fire Ice and Volcanic Glacier's father. The Queen of the Water Clan, Water Drop's mother, the Queen of the Fire Clan, Ember's oldest sister. The Queen of the Ice Clan, Snowflake's older sister, and the King of the Crimson Clan. They were all sick and tired of the threats of war that had been circulating. So, they came together and gave their souls to create a relic that would ensure peace."

Clove nodded, absorbing every word. "Red Flame was chosen to bury the relic in a secure location. After Fire Ice's defeat, Red Flame told his sister's mate where it was. When the Mixture Clan was built, the relic was dug up and placed in the Dragon's Cathedral. We Mixtures pray to it everyday." It was then that the mystery had been solved for the Ice Queen. "That's why it's so easy for your people to get along. It's because of a relic." Lily and Reina shook their heads.

"The relic can only do so much. It slowly sucks the hate from each person and stores it away, but it takes time. Then, when the clan is threatened with war, that hate is released at the enemy. Or when someone seeks refuge on the Cathedral grounds, the Great Spirits step in to help. A lot of people went there during Cion's reign. But, enough of this history lesson." Lily ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Look, Fire Ice could've taken out any one of us, but instead, he targeted Clove specifically. Why? He's smart, he'll hide and strike when we're at our weakest." Reina nodded and stepped forward. "I'll send Regina a heads up, so she can keep guards everywhere." Lily nodded. “Good idea. Fire Ice will not make the same mistakes twice. That’s what makes him such a pain in the butt. He’s intelligent and determined. That’s why we need to be vigilant and one step ahead of him.”

Clove pressed a hand to her stomach as she realized exactly what made her different from the other elements. “Sapphire.” The two older women looked to the youngest. “What?” Her eyes met theirs. “Red told me that my mother considered Sapphire, Ruby, Clover, Seraphina, and Pearl threats. What if she didn’t consider them threats, but Fire Ice does?” Reina looked up at Lily who was lost in thought.

The Mixture Queen thought about what her little sister said and nodded. “That may be possible. Water Drop said that Fire Ice hated Ceruleans with a passion, but since he was killed by a Crimson, then his hate could have been turned to them. However, he hated hybrids more than anything else. He thought they were unnatural.”

Reina’s head shot up. “Could Sapphire be the reason why he targeted her?” A nod confirmed Clove’s worse fear. “It’s reasonable to think that he would want to get rid of the threat before it becomes one. If we had time, I would tell Clove to head back to the palace and stay there, but we need all elements if the war is going to be won in our favor. With that being said…”

Before she could finish her speech, the throne room doors burst open and hundreds of guards rushed. "Oh, dear. Scatter. Meet back up at Glacier Pass." Reina and Clove shouted their understandings before running in opposite directions.

As Lily ran down the hallway, she could see flashes of water blue through the small windows that lined the walls. Water Drop was following her vessel's presence in order to find her. Lily could already see the Vipers running away in fear at the sight of the magnificent blue dragon. "Come on, show me a window I can jump out of." The young woman muttered in annoyance as she turned a corner and spotted a large window just up ahead. The scales around her eyes lit up. 'Water Drop, meet me by the window a few feet ahead.' She spoke to her dragon through their bond.

Not two seconds later, Water Drop shot through the window and jumped straight into her vessel. The young queen took a moment to steady herself before running up to the window and leaping out, shifting as she did. The Vipers below readied their weapons and aimed at her. She did her best to dodge the sedative soaked arrows. However, she only had so much luck within her. An arrow clipped her injured side, causing her to deviate from her flight path. As she dove down past the mountains, a flying boulder rammed into Water Drop's neck.

The pain blurred her vision as the last Water Dragon slammed head first into a cliff. Unable to hold her dragon form, Water Drop shifted back into Lily before the young woman hit the snow covered ground. Blood leaked from her wounds and she fought to stay conscious. Glancing behind her, Lily saw the blurred silhouette of a hulking figure standing over her.

It was the last thing she saw before succumbing to her injuries and slipping into unconsciousness. 

Reina thanked the Great Spirits that she ran down a hallway she had memorized the layout of. She chuckled to herself as she bent down to pry one of the floor tiles up. It was one of the many secret exits. She quickly dove down and allowed the tile door to fall back over the opening. The sound of the stone tile falling back into place echoed through the palace, drawing several guards to the hallway. But, Reina was long gone.

Clove on the other hand, cursed her luck that she didn't know where the secret exits were. 'Can my luck get any worse?' She thought as she heard voices coming around the corner ahead of her. The Ice Queen skidded to a stop before pressing herself up against the wall and peering around the corner. Two guards were heading her way. "I guess it can." Clove muttered as she created a club of ice in her hands and prepared to fight.

She waited until they were just a few feet away from her before attacking. The first guard was unprepared as Clove's club slammed into his stomach, the second guard however, caught the clip as she swung at him. He shoved the club aside and ripped off his mask. Clove gasped and dropped the club at who was standing in front of her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought it was over? Not yet. Let me know what you all think. Once again, thank you all for you support and I hope everyone has a fantastic week. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	39. Meeting Back Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The element queens meet back up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Here's a birthday gift from me to you. Thank you to littledahlia for commenting and to a guest for leaving kudos. And thank you everyone for 2774 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

"It's us, Clove." Aaron snickered as the young princess slowly realized what she had done. Spinning around, she saw Prince Kyro, still kneeling on the ground and clutching his stomach, pull off his mask. "Kyro, please forgive me. I did not know it was you." She rushed to him and he struggled to stand up. When he was partway standing, he looked at Clove.

"That was a really good hit." He wheezed, which made Aaron laugh harder. "Shut up." Kyro breathed, although there was no real heat behind his command and the lieutenant shook his head. "No, that was hilarious." Their words did nothing to dull Clove's guilt. The young woman couldn't help but think about the way Kyro promised to never harm her, yet she had just harmed him.

"Kyro, I'm so sorry." The young prince looked at his wife in concern before placing his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "Clove, it's alright. You didn't know. Besides, I'm glad to know that any fool who dares mess with you will regret it." The young princess nodded, but said nothing. Aaron frowned and stepped forward. "As much as I enjoy this public display of affection, we need to go." The two nodded and followed them. "We can take the exit we entered through."

A sudden explosion from outside rocked the palace and the frozen stones began to crack. "RUN!" Aaron yelled as he shoved open the secret door in the wall and the three ran into the tunnels just as the palace collapsed. "Looks like one of the elements set off the distraction." 

"I'm pretty sure I can guess which one." Aaron nodded at Kyro's statement with a smirk. "Where there's smoke, there's the Fire Queen." It was Clove's turn to nod.

An opening of the tunnel caused the three to stop. "It looks like this part of the tunnel collapsed, which means…" Kyro finished his sentence. "We'll have to go without cover for a few feet. We just need to hope that no Jade Vipers are looking." The other two nodded and prepared to run. "Ready...and...NOW!" They took off running, however, none of them could resist looking at the damage.

The abandoned palace was nothing but a pile of broken stones, none of it remained, the surrounding ground was scorched and Vipers ran back and forth frantically . Unsure of what to do. Clove couldn't help but look at running people, hoping to see her mother among them. She, much to her dismay, did not.

"We're almost there." A sudden and sharp pain stung Clove's shoulder right before she made it to safety. "CLOVE!" Kyro caught her in his arms as she fell. "She's been struck with an arrow." Aaron stopped and looked back, Clove had an arrow sticking out of her right shoulder. "I'm fine." The young woman stood on shaking legs. "I just need to get to Snowflake." Kyro nodded, but didn't let go.

Over in Glacier Pass, Kiren and Reina were waiting for the others. "Something happened to them. I bet something happened to them." The purple haired woman rolled her eyes. "Kiren, I'm sure they're fine. Kyro has Clove and she has him and Aaron. Plus, I'm sure Lily can take care of herself."

"No, she can't." Both turned around to see Grand Marshal Raizo carrying an unconscious Lily. 

"LILY!" Kiren ran over and took the Water Queen from Raizo. Reina's worry doubled when she noticed the red fabric around her Queen's head and upper chest. Her worry turned to suspicion when she noticed that two of the red ribbons on Raizo's shoulder were torn off.

Kiren gently set the red and blue haired woman down just as she started to wake up. "Lily." The Fire Queen rushed to her side. "I'm fine. Just a little dizzy. Where's Clove?" The Mixture King looked at Reina who shook her head. "I think they're on their way."

"WHERE'S SNOWFLAKE?" The group turned to see Kyro holding on to an injured Clove with Aaron close behind. "We need Snowflake. Clove's injured." Lily stood up after hearing that her sister was hurt. Her eyes darkened when she saw the arrow. "I'm afraid we don't know where Snowflake is, but I can assist in removing the arrow." Raizo shook his head.

"Not with that head injury you're not." As much as Kyro didn't want to admit, Raizo was right. "Then I can walk someone through how to do it. Who has a small knife?" The Crimson Prince pulled out his brother's dagger. "Okay, Reina, heat the blade up. He'll need to slide the dagger into the wound next to the arrow."

The two nodded and Reina produced a flame. "Okay Kyro, when the blade is in the wound, carefully slide the arrow out." He nodded and placed a hand on Clove's shoulder, next to her wound before bringing the dagger closer. 

"WAIT!" Lily and Reina yelled just before the dagger could touch her skin. "What? What's wrong?" The two women in question looked at each other. "Do you feel that?" Reina nodded. "Yeah, there's magic in the air." Lily held her hand out towards Kyro. "Let me see that dagger." The scales around her eyes lit up when her hand touched the handle. "This is a relic. The magic is flowing off of it now." Kyro glared up at Raizo. "You're the one who handed me this dagger. When you said my brother was dead."

The man in question held up his hands. "I got it from the two dead generals, they got it from the soldiers who claimed to have seen Kiren's...yeah." Reina pointed a finger at him accusingly. "But, you were talking to some about the Relic of Death. I remember." The man in question sighed regretfully. "That was years ago, after Lorelei told me about Lily. I lied and told her that I wouldn't be able to follow through with her demands...at least not without being caught." He inhaled deeply. "That's when she told me about the Relic of Death. However, she didn't know where it was."

"Lily, I thought you said the Relic of Death was a sword." The Mixture King looked at his wife. "The one we know about was a sword. But, remember the total number of relics that were made is unknown. Besides, Water Drop just informed me that Red Flame had destroyed that sword." Clove let out a sigh of relief and Lily pulled out her dagger before handing it to Kyro. "Use this one. I can assure you, it's not a relic."

Kyro took it gratefully and used it to remove the arrow. It took all of his self control not to flinch when Clove hissed in pain. Aaron handed the young prince a couple of bandages. "Put some snow on the wound before you put the bandages on." Kyro didn't hesitate to grab a handful of snow before gently placing it on the injury. The young princess flinched and hissed in pain. "Sorry."

"Okay, so destroying the Relic of Power…" Lily started, but Kiren cut her off. "Released Fire Ice." The woman in question nodded. "Reina already filled you in." A nod confirmed her theory. "What's his next move?" He looked over at his wife. "We need to find out how he was taken out the first time." It was then that Kyro noticed Red Flame and Snowflake. "Red, how did you kill Fire Ice the first time?" 

"Violently." Snowflake whacked him with her tail. "What? It's true. When you died, I saw red. I honestly don't remember how I killed him, only that I was blinded by anger." Lily sighed in defeat. "Okay, Fire Ice is smart, he's probably going to avoid my idiot mate and us three elements." Reina looked over at her Queen. "Can he do that? I mean, carrying out his plan while avoiding all four." Lily looked up at the sky with determination in her eyes. "We won't give him the option."

"Okay, we need to move." The two sisters nodded at the Fire Queen’s words. “Agreed. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think is going to happen next? Let me know what you think. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope everyone had a happy Valentine's day.


	40. The War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fire Ice attacks the Mixture Clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. I would like to say thank you to INEEDSUBZERO and Helele for commenting and you both for your birthday wishes. I really appreciated them. Another thank you goes out to two guests for leaving kudos. And thank you to everyone for 2806 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Kharis paced back and forth as she waited for the elements and their entourage to arrive. She had been ordered by both her eldest brother and her mother to stay back in the palace for her own protection. And the young princess was itching to know what was going on.

She had nearly cried in relief when she spotted Nouren among the soldiers who returned, but that didn’t stop her from worrying about the others. 

“Kharis?” The woman in question turned around to see Nouren. Tears formed in her eyes and she ran over to wrap her arms around him. The Cerulean Captain froze for a second before wrapping his arms around her. “I’m scared, Nouren. They aren’t back yet.” The older man nodded at her concerns. He too was worried. “They’ll be alright. I’m sure of it.” He tried to sound convincing, but his voice wavered.

Kharis opened her mouth to speak, but a deep voice behind her cut her off. “Come on, soldiers. Get to the Dragon’s Cathedral now. MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!” Several soldiers ran past the two as Regina approached. “Marshal, what’s going on?” The woman in question glared at Nouren. “I have just received word from Reina that something may be coming after the Relic of Peace. We need all available dragon soldiers to help guard it. All non-dragon soldiers are to help guard the city.” Nouren opened his mouth to ask a question, but Regina didn’t give him a chance.

“We’re even taking in volunteers from the village to help in guarding.” Kharis gasped in worry. “Are you allowing volunteers from the Crimson and Cerulean Clans?” The Mixture Grand Marshal shook her head. “No, we’re not quite that desperate. Ask me again in an hour. My answer may change.” The Cerulean captain nodded and Kharis stepped forward. “Do you know when the elements will be back.” The older woman shook her head. “Not a clue. But, I can assure you that…” 

A loud roar followed by several screams cut her off and the form of Fire Ice could be seen outside the window. Regina didn’t hesitate to jump out of the window, shifting into her dragon as she fell. Kharis moved to join her, but Nouren held her back. “Princess, I can not let you go out there.” With a growl, the Crimson Princess spun around to face the older man. “Nouren, do not try to stop me. You heard what Regina said…”

“PRINCESS!” Nouren tackled Kharis to the ground right as three spikes of black rock came bursting through the palace walls. “Nouren, Kharis, the princesses and prince are in danger. Please protect them.” Blood Red shouted through the holes in the wall. “On it.” Both shouted back.

Fire Ice was overwhelmed. He had been told by his twin sister that there were only three dragons in the Mixture Clan. The Fire Dragon, the Water Dragon, and one Crimson Dragon. And Lorelei never spoke of any other dragons within her rival clan. That’s why he moved to attack the town. He was hoping to take them out the same way he had taken out the element clans. But, he had severely underestimated his enemies.

From the second he had swooped down, red and blue dragons alike were on him. Not only were they quick, they were also well trained. He shot out his spikes in all different directions, but not one landed a hit, except for a few buildings and the palace. Fire Ice was grateful that the relic’s powers healed his wounds as he received them, but that didn’t stop the pain. Blood had trickled down his neck from where the Crimson from the palace had bitten him. She was the best out of the group. ‘She must be their leader.’ He thought as the other dragons back away at her command. A spike in her direction proved useless as she dodged and went for his throat. Fire Ice barely managed to dodge her bite, but not her razor sharp talons from digging into his snout and shoving him out of town. Only one other dragon had put up this much of a fight against him.

“RED FLAME!” Someone shouted and Fire Ice turned to catch a glimpse of his most hated rival. His blood boiled when he saw Snowflake flying beside the red menace. The pure white dragon flew past the tyrant tilting her body as she did so that the sunlight glinted off her scales. Effectively blinding her enemy. Fire Ice roared in discomfort and the Ice Dragon smirked and kept flying around him, making sure she was in his line of sight.

“Scales up, ladies. Take no prisoners.” Ember yelled as her vessel jumped onto the ground. “Lieutenant, get these people off of the streets and out of the nearest buildings. Use the underground tunnels to get them to the Cathedral or to the other side of town.” Lily commanded the Mixture Lieutenant, who nodded and began relaying her orders, as she leaped to the ground, followed by her sister. “Alright, Queens, we only have one shot at this.” The other two nodded as they watched their dragons turn Fire Ice’s attention away from them. Combining their powers was the only sure fire way to defeat the dreaded tyrant.

Kiren and Kyro quickly joined their wives on the ground while Aaron rushed off to help the other soldiers. 

Lord Arkos nearly had a heart attack when he saw his niece jump off of her dragon’s back. “Clove, come on.” He yelled and ran over to grab her arm. The young woman didn’t hesitate to pull away. “No, uncle. They need me and I intend to fight. Kyro, I think you and Kiren should help get these people away.” The Mixture King nodded and ran off while Kyro looked to Lily. “You heard my sister. Arkos, you need to go with everyone else.” He shook his head as he reached for Clove again, however she ran off to get into position before he could grab herb. “Not until I know that Clove is…”

“CLOVE, can take care of herself.” Both Lily and Arkos turned to see Kyro coming back their way. “Look, I know that you don’t want to believe it, but your niece isn’t a child anymore. She can take care of herself and others. She doesn’t need to be sheltered any longer. I’ve seen how much the guilt affects Clove when she’s unable to protect the ones she swore to protect, but now she’s able to keep that promise. But, she can’t do that until you stop treating her like she’s a little kid who needs to be locked away from the world. Let her prove to you that she can fit the role she was born into.”

Lord Arkos was at a loss for words, no one had ever told him off that way before and Kyro didn’t give him a chance to respond back before disappearing back into the crowd. Lily couldn’t help but shoot Arkos a smug look. “He sure told you.” She said before running to stand by her sister. The dragons above, moved to block Fire Ice’s escape routes, keeping him trapped for the elements. 

“Ready sisters?” Clove and Lily nodded and the three element Queens unleashed their powers onto the hybrid dragon. A ring of black rocks rose from the ground as Fire Ice tried to protect himself from the blasts, however the rocks started glowing blue and red before freezing in place. Glancing up, Lily noticed the dragon statue’s eyes were glowing. The Great Spirits were aiding them in their fight.

Fire Ice tried to run, but a blast from the element dragons, kept him where he was. No matter what, he was trapped. It was obvious that the dragons were trying to keep him away from the buildings. His screams of pain filled the air. For the first time, Snowflake was actually glad to hear a cry of pain, especially his. He had taken everything from her, Ember, Water Drop, and Red Flame. He had taken so much from so many innocent people. Three dragon species were wiped out, because of him.

It was time for that tyrant to know pain.

In a last desperate attempt, the hybrid dragon sent spikes at the elements in a final attempt to win. But, just before the spikes could reach the three women, a bright white light blinded everyone and everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think happened? Let me know what you think? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next Thursday.


	41. The Win

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is over and all is finally safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Another Thursday, another chapter. But first, shout outs. Thank you to littledahlia and Vermillion2005 for commenting. Thank you to four guests, annigreengrass, and juliia_21 for leaving kudos. And thank you everyone for 2880 hits. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

When the light disappeared, all was quiet and peaceful. The smooth, undamaged walls of the buildings were the first thing Clove noticed when she opened her eyes. The palace was undamaged as well. It was as if Fire Ice never attacked.

"What happened?" Reina asked as she looked around. "The Great Spirits lent a hand." Lily pointed at the statues whose eyes were slowly dimming. "We did it. We won." The Fire Queen let out a tired laugh. "It's finally over."

People slowly started coming out of the buildings and looking around for any threats. "Lily, thank goodness." Kiren ran up and hugged her before spinning her around. "I’m alright, love. I promise.”

"That's good to hear." The two turned to look at Raizo who had a rare, but genuine smile upon his face. "Good job, Lily. I'm proud of you." The young woman smiled and nodded. "Thank you…" She opened her mouth to finish her sentence. She wanted to call him dad, but she found that she couldn't. Not yet. Raizo gave a small sad smile and nodded. "I know. I know."

Clove smiled as Kiren hugged her sister once more. Her smile turned to a look of question when she saw Reina hug Aaron tightly. Then, as if they realized where they were, the two pulled back a little and gasped in shock. Until, Reina gave a soft smile, followed by Aaron.

'I'm glad Aaron will finally be happy with someone.' She smiled as she also spotted Nouren and Kharis hugging. "CLOVE!" The woman in question turned around in time to be embraced by her husband. "Oh, Kyro." Clove wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. Pulling away, Kyro reached out to cup her face in his hands. "Are you alright?" He looked her up and down, searching for any potential injuries. 

With a laugh at his concern, Clove placed a hand under his chin and tilted his head up so that his eyes met hers. "Kyro, I'm fine. I promise and…" The young princess took his hand in hers and placed it on her stomach. "Sapphire is fine." Kyro sighed in relief as he gazed into Clove's sapphire eyes. They sparkled with unshed tears of joy. The Crimson Prince wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers.

When they pulled apart, both were nearly tackled to the ground from behind. Clove by Lily and Kyro by Kiren and Kharis. All was finally well.

From the bottom of the small hill, former Queen Lorelei watched with mixed emotions. It was a bittersweet moment for her. Her heart was bursting with joy at seeing her beloved daughters together, but at the same time, she was horrified for what she had tried to do to them and her grandchildren.

She had woken up in time to see her daughters and that purple haired woman running out of the throne room. She barely managed to escape the abandoned palace before it collapsed. Lorelei had been beyond relieved when she saw the Water Dragon flying off, but her worry increased when she saw Lily’s dragon go down. The former queen had been unable to find either of her daughters in the mountains, but then she saw the dragons flying towards the town.

Lorelei couldn’t be more proud of her girls, but she also couldn’t be more disappointed in herself. She loved her daughters more than anything, but she had tried to kill them and their husbands and her grandchildren. The older woman sighed in sorrow as she remembered what Lily had said.

The red and blue haired woman had been partially right. Part of Lorelei did dislike Lily because of who her father was, but as Lily grew, so did Lorelei’s love for her. And Clove, she had loved from day one. “How could I have done that to them?” The older woman shook her head as tears streamed down her face.

Her tears dissolved into a sob as she watched Clove place Kyro’s hand over her stomach. ‘That’s right. Clove’s pregnant.’ Another sob escaped her as she once again remembered what she tried to get Kyro to do to them. She desperately wanted to apologize for her actions, but she knew that there was nothing she could do that would fully condemn her guilt.

With a tear sliding down her cheek, Lorelei turned to leave. She would remain in exile, but she would watch over her daughters for as long as she could.

Clove turned around as Snowflake approached. "Something is different. I can feel it. I believe Fire Ice's destructive hold on your clans has been lifted." The young princess smiled brightly at her dragon's words. They could return home.

She walked over to stand next to Lily, who was watching a lone figure at the bottom of the hill. “Who’s that?” The older woman shook her head. “I don’t know. But, I’m assuming they won’t be a problem in the future.” Clove nodded and looked out in the direction of the abandoned palace. “Do...do you think our mother made it out alive...or do you think destroying the Relic of Power killed her?” Lily shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t know. Part of me hopes that she’s back to normal, but the other part of me can’t forgive her. She chose to use the Relic of Power. It was her decision, even in a moment of desperation, it’s too high a price.”

The Ice Queen nodded, her sister was right. But, that didn’t mean the young princess didn’t want to see her mother one last time.

“Hey, come on you two. The party's just beginning.” Kharis called out as the cerulean sisters laughed at her antics.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, Aaron?” The cerulean captain asked the former lieutenant who shook his head. It had been a week since the fall of Fire Ice and the two visiting clans decided it was time to go back home. But, before they could leave, they had to make sure their home clans were back. A volunteer scout went on to confirm that the Crimson and Cerulean clans were in fact, standing strong once more.

“Yes, as much as I will miss things, I think I’ll stay here. I’ve come to discover that some things here are quite beautiful.” Aaron glanced over at Reina who was saying goodbye to some of the crimson soldiers.

Nouren placed his hand on his old friend’s shoulder. “Just remember to come and visit.” Aaron nodded and turned to look at Clove who was saying goodbye to her sister. “I promise I will keep in touch." The older woman nodded as she pulled away from the hug. "Oh, you better. Or I'll send Tulip and Daisy after you." The two sisters laughed and hugged once more. "The Mixture Clan will always be here." Clove nodded with a smile before walking over to Zephyr.

Lily put her hand out to stop Kyro. "Take care of her." Her cold glare was enough to strike fear into the Crimson Prince, who nodded at her request. “I promise I will.” The older woman nodded and dropped her arm to let him by.

“Is everyone ready?” Clove looked around at her people, most of whom were restless. The young princess nodded. “I think we are. Although, it’s sad to leave.” Kyro couldn’t help but nod. 

“You’re Highness?” The Crimson Prince turned to see Grand Marshal Raizo approaching and the young prince stepped in front of Clove. Even though Raizo had proven his loyalty to Lily and she trusted him, to some extent, Kyro didn’t trust him one bit. “What is it, Raizo?” The older man turned to look back at Lily before facing the young prince once more. “I’m putting in my resignation.”

His words took both royals completely by surprise. The last Crimson general gasped in disbelief. “You’re what?” The man in question nodded. “I’m putting in my resignation.” His words were still processing in Kyro and Clove’s minds. The Crimson Prince was the first to overcome the shock. “Alright. I’ll start looking for a new Grand Marshal.” Raizo nodded and walked over to his horse. “Alright everyone, get ready. We’re about to move out.”

“RAIZO!" The man in question turned around in time for Lily to slam into him. The young Queen wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Raizo froze for a second before returning the hug.

It didn't last long before Lily pulled away. "Don't worry, Lily. I'll be back." Her eyes widened with hopefulness. "You will?" He nodded with a small smile. "Of course. I just have some things to finish up back in the Crimson Clan, but then I'll be back." She stepped back with a nod and Raizo climbed up onto his horse to join the others.

“Alright everyone. Let’s move out!” Kyro yelled as the Crimsons and Ceruleans began their long journey home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you all think. It's almost over, but there is still have one more loose end to tie up, which will be tied in the final chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I hope everyone has a fantastic week. Until next Thursday.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think and what your theories are.


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